Foot Falls: Midwinter Nights Dream
by FoxxStarr
Summary: Part Three of the Foot Falls Series set between the end of the Hobbit Movie, 60 years before the Fellowship of the Rings, Artemis and Tracey have been separated and Tracey has lost her memory. As Adessa she searched for her memories while Artemis searches for her. Along the way they discover that Kii, Fili and Thorin have been brought back to life. How will this affect the future?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! Welcome back! Thank you for following this series of stories. Foot Falls has been an amazing journey. My best friend and I have been writing these stories and are having an amazing time sharing them with everyone who reads them. We're trying to keep each story in the same tone of the original while still keeping the OC's fun and relatable. In this story you'll start to see an over arching storyline within the fanfics. If this is the first Foot Falls you've read we encourage you to go read The Legend Continues in Hercules the Legendary Journeys and New York isn't Ready over in TMNT (Or click on my profile name and you can find them there).**

 **And I usually don't ask but my bestie wants to know what ya'll think so please review!**

"You have done well, but your job is not yet done." The voice from the antiseptic room filled her head and she saw the room around her fading into a field of white. The phone crackled and static filled her ears as vertigo dragged at her senses. "You have done well but your job is not yet done." The voice intoned again and she felt reality slipping away. She didn't know who the voice belonged to, a voice that sounded like all the voices that ever were and ever would be but it seemed familiar. Images of four giant turtles, a huge bipedal rat, a woman with dark hair and eyes, a Large blond man and a smaller blond man then more images of people who seemed so familiar but the names were always just out of reach.

"You have done well but your job is not yet done." The voice again as the whiteness overtook her and she slid from consciousness.

She woke up laying on a bed of moss so soft she almost mistook it for a mattress. When she sat up she stared around at at towers of luminescent blue crystals, stalactites and stalagmites formed columns of softly glowing blue, a pool of water reflecting the soft blue light with moon white flowers decorating the pools edge. A table with a soft white cloth sat near the bed of moss she was sitting on with a matching chair of the same crystal the cave seemed made of. She shifted and felt something tug at her back, a glance over her shoulder revealed a pair of huge luna moths wings in a deep dark blue veined with silver. They fanned slowly back and forth as she shifted her hands clutching the cerulean blue skirts of her dress.

The woman looked down at her pale hands as they clutched her light blue dress and fingered the material, the soft fabric shifting comfortably under her fingers. Her dress was long with splits that ran up the sides and stopped at her hips, exposing white, form fitting pants beneath it. A white corset was laced around her waist with light blue and silver embroidery worked in various floral and vine designs. The sleeves of her dress were long and elegant, laced at her biceps and the rest of the ribbons flowing down her arms with the sleeves. She looked at her feet and found them to be covered with boots that stopped mid-shin and were laced up the front. Her wings fluttered a little bit when she shifted on the moss and this made a small smile appear on the woman's soft, pink lips. "What is this place?" She wondered quietly, looking around and noting that she was alone. "Where am I?"

Slowly getting to her feet, the woman walked the short distance to the water's edge and fingered the white flowers for a moment before looking down at her reflection in the water. She touched her cheek, watching as her reflection did the same, and then moved to her pointed ears, tilting her head to the side. Her long, black hair fell over her shoulders in rivers of soft silk before she could push it back and her blue eyes gazed in awe at her surroundings. There were a few things she wanted to know, things she needed to know... but the most important one came to her as she looked back down at the clear water. "Who am I?" She asked, watching her reflection's mouth move in the water. "Why can't I remember anything?"

The crystal cave remained silent though as she looked into the water a vague memory formed in her mind, words on a page, laughter, high and delighted and the name Adessa appearing in text again and again with a sense of familiarity to it. The name brought a smile to her face and a sense of anticipation, like an event she had waited for many times. "Adessa... Adessa..." The woman mouthed out loud to herself before nodding. "Yes, that has a pleasant sound to it... Adessa, that will be what I call myself. Now I have to find the answers to so many questions, but I don't know where to start."

Looking over her shoulder again, Adessa eyed her constantly fluttering lunar moth wings and felt her shoulders twitch on their own, causing them to flutter slightly faster. A soft giggle escaped her lips and she gave her wings another flutter and watched as they kicked up enough of a breeze to stir the moss behind her. Adessa gently touched the white flowers again and smiling before standing and walking to the towering crystals. They were massive to the point that she wouldn't even be able to wrap her arms around them and could only stand in awe of their beautiful blue colors. The crystals glowed softly, illuminating the cave around her and seemed to be the only thing that cast light at all.

"These crystals... they're so strange, but beautiful." Adessa said softly, touching the cold crystal and then turned to the table with it's snow white cloth and the chair of crystal that sat beside it. "Who did this I wonder... when will they make their presence known? And are they friendly? Surely whoever inhabits a beautiful place like this can't be all bad... I can only hope."

The cave was empty save for herself, she could hear the faint humming coming from the crystal pillars and the faint sound of wind from outside the caverns. A sense of curiosity filled her making her wonder what was outside the cave. The gentle wind twisted and weaved around the stalactites and stalagmites, causing a low whistling noise to occur. It was an almost eerie sound like that of an ominous presence looming in the darkness, but still Adessa's curiosity couldn't be controlled. She looked back at the crystals and with a slight flutter of her wings, Adessa stepped out of the circle of rock and crystal, letting the gentle breeze brush against the hand she outstretched in front of her to guide her to the opening of the cave. The air itself was sweet and cool, but that could have been because of the atmosphere in the cave and from the water that flowed out of the rock to the pool that the gorgeous flowers clustered around and floated upon.

"What could be beyond this cave and what I might find." Adessa said quietly, stepping slightly forward and then blinking her blue eyes and rivulets of light peeked in through streamers of creeping vines that burrowed into the rock and hung in curtains.

Slowly pushing the vines out of her way, Adessa started the shield her eyes from what she thought was sunlight, but was instead moonlight. Adessa carefully ventured out further from the cave's hidden entrance and looked up at the twinkling stars and brilliant full moon. Her eyes sparkled as she watched the stars for awhile. "Such peace and wonder."

The wind picked up and caught her wings and she had the urge to fly, without really thinking about it she opened her wings and flapped them and let the wind lift her up and carry her up into the sky while the pale light of the moon caressed her with an almost physical touch. She felt as though the light was suffusing her, nourishing her as she hovered above the ground. A small smile flitted across Adessa's lips as she slowly rose higher above the ground and loved how light she felt, loved how weightless her wings allowed her to be. She only glanced back at her wings to see how fast they were going and softly clapped her hands together in glee. "I wonder if this is how my kind get their nutrients... but perhaps this is only a temporary solution." Adessa mused, watching the moonlight dance over her hands. "Until I figure out what's edible and what's not, I guess the moonlight will be my sustenance... I wish I knew what I was and what I'm doing here."

She let out a sigh and a shrug before looking up at the moon again. Her spirits seemed to lighten her mood to the point, Adessa's wings carried her carefully through the trees until she alighted onto a sturdy branch and sat down. The vantage point from the branch was perfect as the full moon illuminated the forest in front of her and let her see far beyond the cave and trees she had been surrounded by. She caught sight of a faint glow under a stand of trees not far from where she sat and even though it was dark she could see as easily by moonlight as she knew she could by daylight. She could see a figure silhouetted against the glow and without really knowing why she moved on silent wings closer to the glow. A few trees away she stopped and stared at the figure sitting against a log seemingly asleep. His faces was both delicate and masculine, silver-blond hair braided away from high cheekbones and pointed ears. He wore a pair of tan pants and a dark green tunic of some soft looking material. A sword rested by his leg and a bow lay cradled in his arms while he slept.

She almost thought she recognized the face, not from a personal memory but as though she'd seen him at a distance before. She felt drawn to him but didn't know why and that sent thrills of anxiety through her. Adessa placed a hand over her heart and felt it throb almost painfully but stayed out of sight, looking back up at the sleeping man with curiosity. Her wings twitched a little bit before she lightly angled herself upward to the branches above and came closer to the camp site, making sure to keep herself hidden for now. Lightly stepping over the branches, Adessa made sure she didn't disturb any of the thinner branches or rustle any leaves with her wings. Those she carefully tucked close along her back so they wouldn't draw any attention to herself.

'Who is this man and why does he have pointed ears like me?' Adessa asked herself, peeking around a solid specimen of tree, twice as thick around as her body. 'What is he doing here and what is this strange feeling? Hm, so many questions and never enough answers.' Biting her bottom lip, Adessa shook her head and didn't think it was a good idea to get closer, her eyes shifting around and looking off to see if anyone else was present or hiding in the shadows. But there were none and even so, Adessa stayed where she was.

He shifted a little and sat up looking around. She saw the bright blue of his eyes as they peered into the dark but never anywhere near a high as she herself was hidden. After a few minutes he shook his head and settled back against the log. "Must have been hearing things." He murmured.

He closed his eyes again and was as still as he had been when she'd first seen him. She had felt a sharp spike of fear when he'd moved and it made her think of the safety of the crystal cavern.

A soft breath escaped from Adessa's lips and she put a hand over her heart, hoping that he couldn't hear it throbbing in her chest. Shaking her head and tucking some hair behind her own pointed ears, Adessa stayed at a low, crouched position behind the thick tree and gave the strange man a final look before crawling away to a clearing in the trees. Here she felt close to the moon again and she opened her lunar wings again, letting herself fall forward slightly and taking off. She headed back to the cave entrance, though weaving in and out of the trees and keeping close to the shadows as to not draw unwanted attention to herself and give away the location of her safe place.

'I should probably stay there until morning and then do a little exploring.' Adessa figured, tapping her fingers against her chin while she flew silently back to the cave and set down just before entering to have one last look around and then going inside. 'I've gotten pretty good with these wings of mine, I have no doubt they'll come in handle.'

Adessa gave a soft laugh and pushed the vines and creepers out of her way and letting them fall behind her, obscuring her from sight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome back! Just wanted to let ya'll know that all the neat little tidbits of Middle Earth Lore are gleaned from the books including the Silmarillion and from sources online! Hope you enjoy and please feel free to review!**

When she woke the next morning she was still couldn't remember anything about herself or how she'd come to be in the cave but she had to admit it was pleasant. A closer inspection of her living space revealed a chest with another dress this time in a dark green and laying on top of the dress was a diadem with a tiny bird in flight that would rest over the center of her forehead. It was wrought in silver with some kind of dark blue stone along the edges of the wings and the breast. Sitting up still higher, Adessa blinked the sleep from her eyes and pushed her hair back, combing her fingers through her black hair to untangle it a little but to no avail. She stood up, dusting off her clothes from the night before, and walked on her bare feet to the carved chest. "Hm, that is pretty." Adessa said softly, running her fingers gently over fabric of the dress and nodding, loving how soft the fabric was. "Nargis? Why did I think of that name and who is he to me?"

Adessa shrugged her shoulders and quickly changed her clothes, fanning out her wings a little to settle them in place now that she had the new garments on. Tightening the lighter green sash around her waist and then the laces up the front of the corset with silver embroidery, Adessa smiled as her attire and gave herself an experimental twirl, the fabric of her dress spinning out around her and making her flutter her wings until she was a few inches off the ground. She took the diadem and put it in her lap before looking at the chest again and opening it. Inside she found a beautiful comb and delicately drew it out to run it through her hair, instantly untangling it perfectly. Returning it to the chest, she placed the beautiful jewelry piece in her hair and crouched by the water to make sure the tiny bird was in the middle of her forehead. "Perfect." Adessa grinned, cupping some water in her hands and splashing her face to rid herself of any final traces of sleep.

Her stomach rumbled a little and she realized there was no food in the cavern. "Hm well I guess now is as good a time as any to do a little exploring." Adessa mused with a smile and she turned to the entrance of the cave, her wings folded down behind her back.

She decided to walk for a while and upon coming to the entrance she slowed as she extended a hand to the vines to push them out of her way. Sunlight started to stream through the creepers and she shielded her eyes until they adjusted to the light. A smile lit up her facial features at the beautiful morning upon her and she stepped out, passing through a few trees until a thought struck her... the man from last night.

'I wonder if he's still here... I doubt it, but I should be careful anyway.'

Adessa moved carefully, but still enjoyed the soft grass beneath her feet, the warm sunlight on her face, and the cool breeze blowing through her hair. She came to a large leafed plant and plucked one of the leaves, holding it up in front of her to study it and grinned. Taking a few more of the leaves, she figured they would be perfect for gathering and storing berries and anything else she passed that could be edible for later. Adessa passed several bushes with bright, succulent berries and before too long she had a good stash going, so much so that she used the stem part the leaf to tie up the edges and continued to pick two more leaf pouches before looking around to see how far she had explored.

"Perhaps this is far enough for now." She figured, tying up the last of her leaf pouches. "Time to wash these and feast back at the cave."

She had just settled down to a sweet meal of the berries she'd picked when she heard the vines outside her cave rustle and shift. Hesitantly she shifted in her sitting position, pointed ears wiggling with worry and fear completely overcoming her. Adessa suddenly jumped up from her sitting position in front of the clear water and spilled her fruit across the ground as she made a B-line for the nearest stalagmite. She crouched down low to avoid being seen and covered her mouth with her hand to soften her breathing so they wouldn't find her. 'Oh please, don't stick around.' Adessa thought, starting to shake nervously. 'Just go away.'

The vines parted and the man from the night before peered in before walking in looking around in stunned wonder at the crystal cavern. "A wonder from the First Age." He breathed his hand gently resting on the crystal.

The crystal seemed to pulse with fresh light under his touch. Adessa heard the voice before she opened her eyes and blinked. The male voice was the same one from the night before, but she still didn't know if he meant her harm or if he even meant to find her. Slowly Adessa chanced a glance around the stalagmite and drew in a low breath, making little noise and covering her mouth again. 'Why is he here?'

He started moving around the cavern looking down at the pool and crouching down to run a gentle finger over the petals of the white flowers. He looked around at the softly glowing crystal pillars and the table and chair. He stood and moved so lightly across the ground that he seemed almost to be floating, he picked up a handful of the berries and looked around. "Now where is the occupant?" He mused softly.

Adessa's eyes slowly widened and she tried to sink further into the stalagmite. Her heart was thumping painfully in her chest and she clutched her hands close to her body to keep herself from shaking too badly. Breathing heavily she tried to think of something she could so the man would leave. 'He doesn't sound like he intends harm, but can I really take that chance?' Adessa asked herself and so the inner conflict began. 'I'll have to test him, if he fails them I'm out of here as fast as these wings can carry me.'

Looking around her bare feet, Adessa gently picked up a stone and took a breath to calm her nerves before she chucked it as far as she could away from her. She waited to see how he react before she would make her move. He stood and listened as the sound of the stone echoed through the cavern. He smiled slightly and backed away ducking behind a stalagmite then carefully leaped up and balanced on the point, he leaped from point to point until he was a few broken pillars away and could see her easily hiding behind her pillar. He crouched and waited to see what she would do.

'Well he didn't immediately attack... but where did he go?' Adessa asked herself, eyes darting around to try to spot him but without success. 'I don't like this... perhaps it's time to go...' With a sigh, Adessa crouched low and looked around one last time before shaking her head. Her heart leapt into her chest, almost as if it were a sign that she should stay. She slowly stood up from behind her hiding spot and initiated the first contact, her pointed ears listening for a reply. If things didn't go favorably she'd flee without a second thought.

"Who are you and what do you want here?"

He slid down the pillar not five feet from her and held up his hands. "I mean you no harm, I was drawn to this cavern and I only wished to meet the occupant of such a wonder."

Turning suddenly on her feet, Adessa was startle and leaped away from the intruder, her wings unfolding from behind her back and carried her across the water. By doing this, she was able to put some distance between her and the man and look him up and down from head to toe from a safe distance. Her bare feet touched the moss again and her wings fluttered a little, opening and closing a little. "You didn't answer my question... who are you?"

He stared at her dumbfounded. "My name is Legolas… Who… what… are you?"

Adessa said his name quietly. It flowed from her lips pretty smoothly and she familiarized herself with it and the face it belonged to. She studied him silently, tilting her head to the side and waiting a moment longer to answer him. "I don't know what or who I am... I have no memory of anything from my past..." She started before taking another breath and speaking again. "I call myself Adessa. What are you?"

"I'm an elf." He replied quietly. "You have the look of an elf but no elf has ever had wings. I've only heard whispers of one such as you but there was never any name I heard. I know of few who would know what you are, or how you came to be but there are a few."

Adessa looked at the Elf called Legolas and considered what he had said and then shook her head, unsure of what she should do. Since he said he didn't mean her harm she would believe him for now, what was the worst thing he could do? Kill her? At least then she wouldn't have so many unanswered questions but on the other hand she didn't get a sour vibe from him so perhaps he was trustworthy. Squinting her eyes closed for a moment, Adessa put a hand to her temple and sighed.

'What should I do?' She asked herself, opening her eyes again and looking at Legolas again. 'He knows someone who might know what I am and they might be able to tell me more... It's more than what I have so I should go with him. Besides he has stealth... limber Elf to be sure, nearly gave me a heart attack... and he has a Sword and Bow, he could protect me.'

She folded her wings against her back when she heard her stomach growl again and sighed. Kneeling down, Adessa began picking up and berries she had dropped just before Legolas came into her sanctuary and returned them to their massive leaf. She watched Legolas for a moment more and nodded.

"I would like to know more about my kind and other things... I don't know this world, would you sit with me and tell me where I am and who this person may be?"

He thought for a moment then shook his head. "There is too much for any one person to tell, But I could take you to Rivendell. Lord Elrond has vast libraries and knows more of Middle Earth than almost any save a few."

Popping a few of the berries passed her lips, she slowly chewed on them and was rewarded with a sweet tangy taste and ate a few more before looking at Legolas across the water still. "Then perhaps you could sit and tell me how you found this place and where exactly are we." She said softly, offering him a place on the moss slightly in front of her. "I don't even know how I got here, let alone where I am."

He sat cross legged and cradled his bow in a comfortable fashion that spoke of long habit. "I felt drawn to this cavern. As to where you are you are in Middle Earth in a place not far from the Lonely Mountain. These hills are riddled with caverns and old mines."

"Middle Earth... The Lonely Mountains... " Adessa echoed, studying Legolas closer, now that she wasn't worried about being attacked. "Though my memories are clouded and full of holes, those names sound familiar but I can't place them anywhere, it's too strange for words. Hm, I wonder why this place in particular... could it have been the crystals?"

Slowly she extended the large leaf pouch to him and offered the berries to him, there was no reason to be inhospitable now since he was answering her questions, questions that needed answers anyway. Adessa was still curious about everything new in her world. She looked down at her hands and tried to think of a few more questions she could ask that would benefit her in some way. "What other creatures live in this world?"

"Many others." He replied. "Principally though there a 5 major races. Men, Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits and Orcs. Of the five the Orcs are the most evil and are to be avoided at all costs. They will destroy everything in their paths and will even go out of their way to destroy and kill." He accepted the berries but didn't eat them immediately. There are other beings in the world, as much legend as fact and there are of course the Wizards but no one is really sure what race they belong to."

Nodding in understanding, Adessa nibbled on a few more berries and swallowed before tapping her slim fingers to her chin in contemplation. "Where are their dwellings? I don't wish to trespass on anyone's territory, though I guess this would be easier with a map of sorts." She concluded with a gently laugh that chimed like bells. "What region do you call home? Can you tell me about some of the cities in... what was it called again?... Oh Middle Earth?"

He chuckled and it made her heart flutter. "The Orcs don't have a territory save the part of the world called Mordor but you are in no danger of trespassing there. However they do roam in raiding warbands and many of the caves in the mountains are crawling with them and their cousins the Goblins. I lived in The Greenwood, what some call Mirkwood now, but I have left my home. It would take me an Age to tell you of all the cities in Middle Earth and I don't think we have an Age to spare."

At this statement Adessa looked at Legolas with a new curiosity. His youthful and handsome face showed no lines, no wrinkles of age and worry at all and if she had to put an age to him she wouldn't go over twenty-eight or so. Perhaps about the same age she herself was... if she remembered what her age might have been. His skin, where his clothes revealed it, was a healthy pale and his hands weren't weathered and calloused from hard labor and time so she just blurted out the next question that popped into her head without even thinking about it. "How old do Elves live?"

He looked surprised then a smile crept across his face. "You really do not remember anything do you? Elves do not reckon their years in the human way but I was born in the 87th year of the third age and it is now the year 2854 in the Third Age so that makes me two thousand seven hundred and sixty seven years old by human count. In my Fathers home I am still the youngest."

"I..." Adessa started to protest, her wings fluttered in irritation, but then she fell silent and looked down at the berries in her hand, taking a few and eating them quietly. "I wish I knew what I had forgotten... it would make this process so much easier for the both of us I'm sure."

Wiggling her ears absentmindedly, Adessa heart beat quickened when she looked up at Legolas and found him watching her and pushed back the rising heat to her cheeks.

"My apologies for all the questions, I just want to understand what I'm missing... what I can't remember, I feel like I've lost something very important and it's maddening no knowing what that something was."

Perhaps Lord Elrond can restore your memory, or the Lady Galadriel…" He mused. "We might even request the aid of the Wizards if elven magics can't undo what's been done."

"Then perhaps this was meant to happen." Adessa answered softly, looking at around at her sanctuary and then back at Legolas. "It's difficult to explain but I have a feeling that we were meant to meet and I'm suppose to follow you, but I can't be sure."

Taking her fill of the rest of the berries, Adessa used the stem and tied up the edges of the leaf neatly and placing it with the other three beside her. "Where were you going before you stopped here?"

"I was on my way to Rivendell to speak with Lord Elrond about finding a young human. My father suggested I find him and teach him." Legolas looked unconcerned though with his ageless face and casual bearing it was difficult to tell.

Adessa thought she remembered something when he spoke of Lord Elrond, an image of a dark haired elf with stern features flickered through her mind but as quickly as it had come it was gone again. "Gah." Adessa made a noise and pressed her hands to her forehead as if trying to force the image to come back to the surface again, but it eluded her still. 'You must try to remember what you've forgotten!'

Giving her head a slight shake, Adessa blinked for a moment and then nodded. She hoped that if she concentrated on the image again that it might come back to her. But unfortunately she wasn't successful the second time, let alone the first time she had tried to bring the image up again and sighed heavily. She looked up at Legolas and smiled kindly at him so he wouldn't think she was in pain. "I don't know how much help I would be, but if you don't mind the company I would like to go with you to Rivendell. Perhaps Lord Elrond would be able to help me regain what I've lost."

He smiled and her heart fluttered again. "I would gladly take you to Rivendell with me. I was hoping you would anyway. Traveling is alway more enjoyable in the company of others."

Adessa smiled at Legolas again and rose from her seated position, brushing off small, clinging pieces of moss that decided to stick the soft fabric of her dress. She couldn't figure out what about this Elf made her feel so at ease. Was it his calm personality, his soft and comforting voice, his demeanor? 'Why does he make my heart skip a beat every time he smiles at me?' She asked herself, glancing at the Elf from the corner of her eye. 'We just met for crying out loud and it's far too soon to be having these feelings.'

Hoping to find something in the beautifully carved chest again, Adessa knelt down to it and pushed up the lid to scan the inside for items that she might need. She pulled out a gray cloak, folded it up carefully and put it off to her side before going into the chest again. A knapsack was nestled next to another set of clothes, this time a pair of pants, a loose off-shoulder shirt, and a silvery blue sash, and two beautifully sheathed daggers. Carefully picking up the daggers, Adessa unsheathed them and watched as they glowed with the light from the crystals before sheathing them again and tucking them into the sash around her waist so she could get at them if needed. The other set of clothes and and the gray cloak she put at the bottom of the knapsack and put the leaf pouches on top.

"When you are ready Master Elf." She said with another smile, tying the bag closed and looping the tether over her head, her wings fluttering and shifting as needed to accommodate the new weight.

He motioned for her to follow him as they left the cavern. The bright morning sun filtered through bare tree limbs and bird sang in the trees. She was surprised at just how quiet it was and a faint memory of a place of loud sounds and the voices of many people all speaking at once. It was gone almost as soon as she thought about it and she was back in the enjoyable silence. Legolas was headed east along a trail only he seemed to know of and she realized his seps made no sound at all. For that matter neither did hers. Adessa was surprised at this, but she was glad nonetheless for if any unwanted creatures were around then they had a good chance of sneaking up on them or getting away without causing any confrontations. Despite her feet being bare now she did pack the boots she had woken up in just in case they came to a town or a city. Adessa surprised at herself that she was so eager to leave her sanctuary now that she had Legolas with her and did look back over her shoulder until the vines and rocks vanished from her sight.

"Are all of your kind as light on their feet as you Legolas?" She asked casually, the wind gently blowing stray strand of her black hair behind her as they walked. "It's slightly unsettling, but it does have its advantages I guess."

"All elf kind is light of foot, most of the time we don't wear armor and when we do it is Mithril which is as light as wool." He leaped up onto a branch and walked along it as lithe as a cat.

Adessa looked up to watch him in the trees for a moment, head tilted to the side as she marked his progress. Her delicately folded wings twitched, the rays of the sun catching them in its light, making them look almost transparent and throwing alternating hues of blue and shimmering silver behind her. When Adessa saw this she gave them an experimental flutter and made the colors dance. She giggled quietly and then beat them until they carried her up and she serpentine through the trees for a ways, sticking close by but moving at her own pace. "How long do you think it will take us to get to Rivendell, Legolas?" She asked, looking back over her shoulder to see if he was still in sight.

"It is a journey of several days." He replied. "But the weather is mild and the terrain easy so it won't be an arduous journey."

"I'm not worried about that at all..." Adessa started, hovering a bit in place before alighted on a thicker branch and flitting her wings every once in awhile when she felt slightly off balance. "I don't mind the outdoors so much, but my only real concern is the Orcs and Goblins you mentioned... what do they look like? Is there a possibility that we may cross paths with them?" She waited on the branch for a moment until he caught up with her and looked at him with her concerned blue eyes.

He laughed then, a sound as bright as sunlight and with the sound of a pattering stream. "None for now." He assured her. "They were rounded beaten at the Battle of the Five Armies not a month ago, they'll be off licking their wounds and regrouping." He started explaining to her how the battle had come about regaling her with the story as they traveled until night fell and he finally concluded while they sat beside a small campfire though neither of them felt the need for sleep.

Adessa had been fascinated with the story the entire day and didn't once divert her attention away from Legolas as he explained in great details, allowing her to picture everything clearly. Her worries about being ambushed subsided for a time so she could enjoy the rest of the day and evening. She sat on the ground with her legs tucked under her body and the rest of her leaning back against a fallen log, close enough to the fire to keep warm, but far enough to where if she did fall asleep she would accidentally get burned. The stars twinkled above their heads and Adessa watched them for a long time, wondering in awe at just how beautiful they were.

"Hey Legolas..." She started, looking over at him. "Would you tell me more about your people? Where did you come from and what do you like to do in your free time?"

"Well like I said earlier my people live in Mirkwood but the elves live in many places, wherever great beauty is found in the world." He spoke at length on the history of the Elves and described some of the beautiful places they lived and what they had built in those wondrous places. The night waxed and waned with neither of them feeling the least bit tired and when dawn came again he helped her to their feet and they continued.

"I want you to think of a word and see what comes to your mind when you think of it." He said as they stopped for a simple meal of bread and cheese. "Perhaps be can prompt your memory before we even reach Rivendell.

"I guess I could attempt it, there's no harm in trying." She answered with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "A word to focus on to jog my memories... hm." Chewing slowly on her food, Adessa looked thoughtful before glancing at Legolas and then at their surroundings.

Nature surrounded them on all sides and a steady flowing stream could be heard a ways off to her right. The water bubbled and churned and slowly Adessa's mind started to wander and she felt like she was drifting away into nothingness, her mind clear of everything but the trickling sound of water. All of a sudden there was a rumble of thunder, a flash of lightning and she was blinded by colors and shifting images, always constant however was the water. Whether it was flowing, dripping or stagnant, the water was present.

"Water!" She gasped, blinking rapidly and looking in the direction the river lay. "There was always water... It looked like I was around water a lot. There were other things I tried to see, but they were gone before I could see anything else."

He nodded and handed her the water skin. "Perhaps try thinking of a face. Imagine a face and see what comes to you?"

Adessa took the water skin from him and gently unstopped it, setting it to her lips and taking a small drink before putting the stopper back and placing it beside her. She contemplated and then closed her eyes, hoping that would help her to focus. It did and what her mind brought forth was a blurry image of a woman in strange clothes, she knew it was a woman for no man was graced with such curves as the figure in her mind. No name was brought forth and so the woman went on nameless. "A woman... I think... with dark hair?" She said, touching her fingers to her forehead. "I can't see anything clearly yet, I don't know who she is or what she is..."

He nodded. "That's enough for now. It was worth a try but let's not strain you too hard."

While they walked on he continued his tales of the world and of the now completed quest of the dwarves. "Alas that it ended so badly for them, they regained their mountain but the cost was so great that I fear it might not have been worth the losses."

"I guess we can all be stubborn as Dwarves sometimes, especially when we think our cause is just." Adessa stated quietly, letting the sun pour down on her face and smiling at its warmth. "It's sad they suffered such a loss and that their war couldn't have been avoided."

She didn't feel like she could condone war and violence unless it was for survival purposes. The Dwarves in general, she thought, were interesting and wish to see what their crafts entailed, their treasure hoards and craftsmanship seemed to be their pride and joy. From what Legolas had described to her, Adessa imagined beautiful and elegant metals and stones being shaped and set in jewelry by creative minds and visionaries.

"I have no doubt they were enthusiastic about their metals and refined arts in crafting."

She smiled and let her mind wander, trying to imagine what a Dwarf mine would look like and what could be found there. For the race of men she didn't have to imagine so hard what they would be like, buildings, roads and markets came to mind, but the Elven race was something else. Try as she might, Adessa could see the magnificent buildings in her mind and the beauty the could possess, but it would be a whole other experience when they got to Rivendell and she could see for herself the splendors Legolas was talking about.


	3. Chapter 3

They'd been travelling without incident for about four days when a storm started to blow in from the east. Legolas climbed a tree to get a better look at it and when he came back down he looked grim. "It's going to be a bad one, we need to find shelter."

The landscape around them was all scrubby bushes with a few trees scattered in meager copses that would offer no shelter from a storm. They were not far from a cleft in the land that Legolas told her had once been a quarry for a nation that no longer existed. He took her hand and led her at a run towards the scarred section of the land. "There should be an enclosed area that we can take cover in."

With her heart skipping several beats at the gentle and smooth touch of his hand taking her's, Adessa's wings fluttered as heat slowly rose to her cheeks. She allowed Legolas to lead her forward, picking up her skirt so she wouldn't trip on them or so they wouldn't get caught on any of the scruffy and thorny bushes. Periodically she would glance at the sky to see how much the weather had progressed against them. The clouds were growing darker in color and swelled with rain, threatening to let loose if they didn't hurry. Adessa started to worry more as she looked over her shoulder at her wings, their shimmering colors catching the wind and blowing against her, causing her to stumble a little. 'I don't want to find out what happens if my wings get wet.' She thought to herself before looking ahead and spotting a shallow cave in the side of the rock face. "There! There's a cave off to your right Legolas!"

Just as they reached the cave and nearly flung themselves inside, the cloud cover broke and rain streamed down in angry torrents, slapping against the rock. Adessa let out a breath and gently wiped her fingers over her skin, sprinkles of water having hit her face and dampened her cheeks. She shifted her knapsack and let her wings shuffle and fan a little, making sure they weren't wet and if they were, they'd dry quickly. "Well that was close."

Legolas peered around their shallow cave searching for any occupants aside from themselves but they were alone. He looked out at the torrential downpour and shook his head. "It's not uncommon to get storms the far south during the winter but this came from out of nowhere."

He took off his bow and set it in the back of their shallow cave away from any drip and started looking around for any twigs or wood that he could start a fire with. There was precious little to work with and he eventually had to give it up. Watching the storm for a moment more, her eyes following the clouds and the large droplets of water hitting the ground and soaking it, Adessa shook her head and looked back at Legolas. She only rubbed her arms a little for warmth and sat down on the sandy cave floor, tucking her legs beneath her and pulling her knapsack into her lap to dig through for her leaf pouches and blanket. The blanket she threw about her shoulders and the leaf pouch she offered to Legolas before opening her own and munching on a few berries. "Are there many forces here that could influence the weather like this?" She asked, pushing a few strand of black hair from her face and looking at the Elf with her hazel eyes questioningly. "We should be in Rivendell in a day or two right?"

He leaned against the cave wall and stared out into the rain. "There are a few who could alter the weather but I'm not sure why they would. We still have a few weeks to Rivendell."

He turned to look at her and offered her a smile. "We'll be passing through a town though. I was thinking to get you a cloak to cover your wings and getting a room at an inn so we can resupply and sleep in a proper bed."

"I think the gray cloak I packed can handle hiding my wings when we enter the towns, but it would be nice to have a hot bath and a warm bed." Adessa said, returning his smile with one of her own. She didn't know what it was about him, but his kind gestures of friendship and soft words made her feel safe and at ease. His company on this trip was welcomed and in all honestly, Adessa didn't think she would have left her cave if he hadn't had shown up and encouraged her to join him on his trip to Rivendell. She extended the second leaf pouch of berries to Legolas and stifled a yawn behind her hand.

He took a few absently but didn't eat them right away. "You should rest. I'll keep watch."

Putting a hand over hand over her mouth again to hide a slightly larger yawn that escaped from her, Adessa nodded and tied up her berry pouch and returning it to the knapsack. Her gray cloak she pulled from the bag and she placed it under her head. As she blinked and sleep slowly took her, Adessa looked up at Legolas and spoke. "Wake me in a few hours and I will take my turn so you may rest."

With one last, lopsided smile, Adessa settled her head down on her arm and cloak and drew her blanket closer to her. Soon enough, sleep took her and she fell into a quiet and dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**And now we find out what became of Artemis. The chapters are going to alternate between Artemis and Tracey/Adessa for a while. Hopefully it won't get too confusing. If you like what you're reading please feel free to leave a review!**

"You have done well but your work is not yet done." The voice issued from the phone like all the voices that would ever be and Artemis found herself passing through the white antichamber. She clung tightly to her satchel and tried to see what was around her as she whizzed through but it was all a white blur. As blackness closed around her she saw Iolaus walking beside Hercules, he looked a little more worn, a little thinner but he was grinning and his blue eyes flashed with humor as he teased Hercules. Her ring rode on his left ring finger and glittered in the sun as he reached up to clap Hercules on the shoulder. The moment lasted a heartbeat and was gone leaving her standing alone in weak winter sunlight on a grassy plain blinking away tears.

"That was…" She took a breath that caught on a sob and she pressed her hand over her mouth to stifle any more trying to control herself. "I won't. I won't cry again." She whispered fiercely and swiped at her eyes.

She felt the weight on her shoulder and when she looked she saw not only her dark red satchel but Tracey's blue satchel which made her look around for her best friend but she was obviously alone on the windswept plain. She looked around wondering where her phone was but when she couldn't find it she dug around for Tracey's only to find it too was gone, everything else, clothes, toiletries and medical supplies was still in her bag and she thanked whichever God liked her that she had thought to pack the stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, thermometer and other medical paraphernalia she'd bought when Donnie was hurt into her bag after he woke up.

She took a breath and still not seeing anyone she decided it was safe enough to risk calling out to Tracey. "Tracey! Tracey can you hear me?! Tracey!"

The world was silent when her call died away and she sighed. "That never works." She muttered and took a moment to take stock of herself.

She was wearing black trousers tucked into a pair of sturdy black kneehigh boots obviously meant for walking and a dark red shirt that reminded her of something she'd have worn to a renfaire with a waistcoat of dark blue trimmed with a double row of silver buttons. She felt the breeze kick up and wished she also had a cloak and maybe some gloves but that would have to wait. She ran her hands over her hair pleased to find it at its usual length and a quickly plucked strand showed her prefered auburn red color. She checked her ears remembering that Tracey had come to Ancient Greece with elf ears but hers were normal, she briefly wondered what new powers she'd gained but set that thought aside. She opened her wallet and yelped when a shower of gold and silver coins fell to the ground. Opening Tracey's wallet revealed more gold and silver and she gathered it up quickly and stuffed it into a pouch at her belt. "Well at least I'm not broke." She muttered and arranged the satchels so they rode at her back just above her butt with the straps crisscrossed over her chest.

"Einee, Meenie, Minee, Moe" She said turning in four directions at random and setting off in the last direction.

Since she had no idea where she was this was the best she could do and she was pleasantly surprised when after an hour of walking she arrived at a small town. She walked along the main street quietly listening to the talk until she was sure she was able to understand what was said. She made her way to a grocer's stall and started choosing foods that would travel well, the grocer, a bluff and hefty fellow smiled at her and gave her an appraising look. "You've the look of a Gondor lass about you. What has you down so far from the Pelennor Fields?"

Artemis smiled as she picked through his baskets of apples looking for the least ripe. "My father sent me off to see something of Middle Earth before I wed."

The grocer looked surprised. "That sounds more aught what a man of Rohan might do. Are you travelling alone?"

She shook her head. "Not alone. I've a cousin traveling with me but he's gone ahead to the inn."

He looked relieved and she tried not to feel insulted, he didn't mean anything by his worry. She finished picking her foods and paid him before packing the food away into her bag. She asked where she might find a small cook pot and tripod and he looked surprised again. "My fool cousin lost ours." She explained. "That's why I'm holding the money else he'd dice it away."

He seemed to accept that and pointed her towards the blacksmith where she was able to purchase a small pot and tripod as well as plate bowl and cup that came with a set of beautiful wooden utensils but she knew she'd have to be careful with her money. One last purchase bought her a sturdy wool cloak in a mossy green and brown and a pair of gloves. She made her way back out of the town after a quick glance at a map to point her towards Rivendell, if anyone knew what was going on it would be Lord Elrond and knowing Tracey she was probably there cuddled up in the lap of her favorite blond haired blue eyed Elf Legolas. That thought made her smile and she set a ground eating pace until nightfall and she found a small copse of trees to make a concealed camp in, it took her a few minutes to remember how to use flint and tinder but after a few missteps she managed a small campfire and a small stream provided the clearest water she'd had since Greece. She lay on her back and stared up at the stars wondering if Tracey was doing the same.


	5. Chapter 5

Rivendell was as beautiful as Legolas descriptions and Adessa's imagination combined, she was in awe of the sweeping avenues and the delicate arching bridges and all around her the music of waterfalls and songbirds wintering in the branches still adorned with delicate green leaves. Her cloak hid her wings from view bt in the company of Legolas and dressed as she was she didn't stand out in any way. A huge difference from the handful of towns and villages they'd stayed in along the way. Adessa was surprised that her neck didn't break with as many times as she turned to view everything she could. She knew that she wasn't like the owls who could actually sweep their heads around so fast that they looked like their head rotated three hundred and sixty degrees. With every passing minute, her eyes widened a little more and she talked really fast and kept her voice at a low whisper when she talked with Legolas. Adessa's smile widened when they passed another archway together.

"This place is so much more than I imagined!" She said excitedly, turning to Legolas with a wider smile to match her eyes. "I just want to explore everything here, but I know I should probably focus... Do you think we would be able to see Lord Elrond today?"

Adessa's gray cloak rustled as she tried to contain her excitement and keep her wings hidden until they had met with Lord Elrond and she could understand what she was, if she had any special abilities other than taking power from the moon's brilliant light, and where her memories had been stashed away. Legolas gave her an amused smile as he led her towards the central building which he had explained was the Last Homely House but had declined to explain what that meant. It was obvious to Adessa that there was nothing homely or plain about it and it certainly wasn't the last house. The gardens in between the buildings were tended to by Elves dressed in a variety of colors mostly ranging to pale blues, greens and mauves. "I don't know if we will see him today. He is an important personage and much occupies his time but he won't make us wait too long. He likes guests."

Adessa nodded slowly and looked longingly at the gardens, meaning to explore them and the waterfalls once their business was concluded. "Taking care of his people and worrying about the everyday matters of being a Lord, I wouldn't be surprised." Adessa replied, following Legolas willingly to wherever he led her too. "But he must be a humble and caring leader to command the respect and loyalty of his kin... I can tell you admire him."

Her eyes continued to look around as they walked and shifted her knapsack on her shoulder. Taking in the sights would definitely be a must after they got to their lodgings. "Would you accompany me around Rivendell Legolas? I'm pretty sure you'd like to rest after our trip and it wouldn't even have to be today." Adessa started, a pale shade of pink tinting her cheeks as she clasped a hand to the strap of her knapsack. "But I would enjoy your company more."

He nodded and led her up the stairs where a retainer greeted Legolas in the High Elven language, Adessa was surprised that she understood every word. She hadn't realized she would be able to. The retainer invited them into the Last Homely House and greeted Legolas as Prince Legolas, son of Thranduil, High Lord of Mirkwood. "It pains me to say that Lord Elrond is not here presently. He was asked to mediate a dispute between two Lords of Men and won't be back for a day or so. But we will ready rooms for yourself and your Lady as befits your station."

"Thanks your Eluriel. The Lady Adessa would like a private room and a bath before the evening meal if it's not too much trouble." Legolas replied smoothly.

Only a flicker of Eluriel's green eyes betrayed his surprise that Adessa was to be quartered separately from Legolas, he had assumed they were a bonded pair but he bowed and motioned for them to follow him. He looked over his shoulder at Adessa. "My apologies Lady Adessa. We do not have many rooms fit for a Lady and many of our maids are wintering in Lothlorien but I'm sure I can find a maid to assist you in a day or so."

With a blink, Adessa looked at Legolas in surprise, not having known that she had been traveling with an Elven Prince the entire time. He hadn't given her any clue as to his lineage and she never would have guessed of his bloodline was that of royalty. She let it go with a slight shake of her head as their guide led them further into the buildings and up the hallways. "Please don't go to any trouble on my account and please don't take any offense to my words, but I won't require any assistance." Adessa stated with a kind smile and a smooth wave of her hand. "I will graciously accept any space, no matter how small it may be, I don't wish to be a hindrance."

She didn't want to let it be known about her wings until after she had met Lord Elrond and found out more about herself and the nature of her kinsmen. Eluriel inclined his head and opened an ornate door carved with flowers and vines that appeared to live on the pale wood. The room he showed her into was far from a small space. It was not so large as to be cavernous nor so small as to be cramped. A large four poster bed and canopy with lush curtains sat to one side across from a large welcoming fireplace, rugs in reds, browns and greens kept feet from cold stone and a few comfortable looking chairs dotted the space. There was a wardrobe on the same wall as the bed and a innocuous looking door led into a small room with a simple bath. "I will come for you at dinner." Eluriel said and shut the door as he left with Legolas, presumably to show him to another room.

Adessa gave a slight nod before walking to the nearest piece of furniture and ran her hand over the wardrobe, gazing at the intricate designs and patterns in awe. She had to look at everything before she placed her knapsack on the edge of the bed and then walked to the balcony to push aside the transparent curtains to gaze upon a pure sight. Before her very eyes the mountain range stretched as far as she could see. The waterfalls thundered in the distance sent up cool sprays that was carried off by the breeze. The sun's rays flickered through the clouds and between the trees, giving the valley a beautiful glow. "This is such a beautiful place, I could enjoy staying here and never leaving." Adessa mused, letting the curtains fall again and going to the simple bathroom to see what it looked like.

She was pleased to find it and quickly walked to the wardrobe to find a suitable attire that wouldn't reveal her wings. What Adessa found made her nod and finger the smooth fabric gently. The clothes consisted of a slimming, sky blue dress with flowing sleeves that transitioned to a darker blue the further down the arm they went and slits up the sides until they reached her hips. A silver sash with silver swirls and vines embroidered on it would be wrapped around her waist and to finish off the look she pulled out a pair of soft gray slippers and the black bird diadem she found in the chest at her crystal caves. These clothes she took to the bathroom, set them aside to put on later and shut the door behind her. "Finally a bath and clean clothes." Adessa said with a smile. "I'm going to have to get these washed myself."

She peeled her travel worn clothes from her body, took a soft cloth and found the water basin to fill it with water so she could gently scrub the dirt from their travels away. The scented lavender soap left a soft, airy smell on her skin and it relaxed her. Her hair she wet slowly, being careful not to splash her wings and soon she finished her bath and dried herself completely. Hanging up her towel, Adessa dressed quickly and fluttered her wings until her hair was completely dried. She then ran a brush through her hair so she could center the diadem in the middle of her forehead. Leaving the bathroom and tying the sash around her waist, Adessa folded her wings in close to her back until they seemed to vanish with the hues of blue and silver in her dress. "This worked out in my favor." She laughed softly and then waited at the balcony to view the scenery until she was retrieved for dinner.

She didn't have long to wait, a soft knock on the door alerted her and then Legolas was letting himself in. He was dressed in a knee length tunic in Dark blue and softer blue trousers with knee high dark gray boots a wide brown belt snugging the tunc in and showing off a trim figure that walked silently across to stand beside her at the balcony railing. "I never tire of the view in Rivendell." He said quietly.

"I couldn't agree with you more." Adessa said with a pleasant sigh as the sunlight shifted in the valley. "This is such a peaceful place, I can't imagine anyone ever wanting to leave." She clasped her hands in front of her and then gave him a sideways smirk as her eyes scanned the waterfalls.

"You never told me you were a Prince, my Lord, though I don't think it would have changed anything... I still would have followed you to the most beautiful view I've ever seen in Middle Earth."

He gave a wry frown and shook his head. "I am a Prince in Exile if I am anything. I disobeyed my Father and I left the Wood. In the world I am Legolas the Elf. It is up to me to make of myself something again."

Adessa was taken aback and looked at Legolas with a saddened expression. She gently placed a hand on his forearm and looked into his vibrant blue eyes. "I'm sorry Legolas, I didn't know." She started quietly. "If there's anything I can do to help please tell me."

He rested his hand over hers and smiled at her, not the sad half smile she was used to or the comforting one but a true smile just because he was happy and it transformed his face and made her knees weak. "You already have Adessa. I had resigned myself to a solitary journey, you have made it infinitely more enjoyable."

"It's been my pleasure Legolas."

If he kept smiling at her like that, Adessa's heart would surely burst from her chest. His hand was warm and his eyes such a captivating blue that she felt like she'd be swept away in them and would never find her way back to the lands of sunlight and lush green grasses. She could swear that her heart was thumping loudly and she hoped that Elf ears couldn't hear that well. A light blush painted her cheeks and was broken by a knock on the door announcing Eluriel's return. Adessa coughed softly and gave Legolas another small smile before returning to the main room with him and leaving through the bedroom door.


	6. Chapter 6

Artemis woke to a cold morning with frost coating the branches of the huge hollow oak tree she'd taken shelter in. She couldn't exactly say what had woken her but she knew something had dragged her from the dream of Greece and warm sandy beaches. She felt the power she'd discovered curling in her chest and took a deep breath to keep from loosing a concussive blast at whatever had disturbed her and sat up peering out of the hole she'd crawled in through. She smelled sweet smoke and saw a hunched figure wearing gray robes and a tall pointed gray hat. He turned slightly and smiled in at her. "Ah… you've woken…"

She pulled herself out of the tree and dragged her cloak out behind her swinging it around her shoulders and fishing the gloves out of a pocket she'd sewn into the lining. "I have indeed and to find a guest on my doorstep."

He chuckled and poked the tiny fire he'd started while she retrieved the satchels and dug around inside for her pot, tripod and some dried oats she'd bartered her sewing skills for. She started a pot of oatmeal crouching across from him and tried not to grin like an idiot. She'd always like the character of Gandalf and now here he was in front of her smoking a pipe. "So why were you sitting at my stoop?" She asked while she stirred the oatmeal.

"Why dear girl I was hoping to meet you." He replied and produced a packet of dark sugar crystals which he added to the pot with a heavy hand.

She tried not to give away her surprise as she sat back on her heels holding the spoon lightly in her hand. "Oh? And what would you want with a Gondor lass too far from home? Father didn't send one such as you hunting me."

He snorted and pointed the stem of his pipe at her. "Its as well you kept up that fiction but don't try it on me. You're not of Gondor or even Middle Earth though I'm not sure where you are from. And I found you by the trail of Magic you've been leaking like a rusty pot."

Artemis raised an eyebrow, she'd discovered that she could now cast spells and weave energy into all sorts of forms. It came to her as easily as breathing, sometimes too easily, like it was desperate to be used and if she went too long without using it it came out in unexpected ways. "Well if I am leaking magic it is only because this is magic at a strength I've never had before. It just keeps bursting out at the worst moments no matter how I try to reign it in."

He nodded and ran a hand over his beard. "You're touching a power that women have not been able to use since the end of the First Age. In this time only elves and Wizards wield Magic. Now there was a time long and long ago that women walked beside the Wizard of old and cast spells to equal theirs but they were hunted to extinction."

"Sounds about right." Artemis sniffed and stirred the oatmeal.

"Well you can hardly blame men when those women turned their power to terrible purpose. Mountains were dragged down to dust and kingdoms fell into ruin. Streams boiled and the first monsters were loosed upon an unsuspecting world." Gandalf replied with a shrug. "But that long ago time does not concern me. For the moment you do."

Artemis covered the pot and swung it carefully away from the fire. "I was sent here by a being who seems to think I and my friend, who is missing by the way, can fix some problem in whatever world we're sent to. Right some wrong. And along the way we're given powers and knowledge to help us blend in and survive. I know who you are Gandalf the Gray. You can call me Artemis."

He nodded. "I figured you might. I believe our paths were meant to cross, I can teach you to reign in that power and along the road we might find your friend and the reason you were sent."

Artemis pulled out her bowl and Gandalf produced one of his own and a spoon from his voluminous sleeve. She filled both and they settled down to eat. "My friend Tracey would be trying to get to Rivendell if I still know anything about her." She finally said.

"Well then, I think it is wise to continue the path though you are still many leagues from that beautiful valley." Gandalf hummed under his breath. "I might be able to procure a horse though this late into the year they'l not be able to scrounge up much fodder."

"So I've been told. And they don't much like me since I seem to be leaking magic." Artemis replied dryly.

He chuckled and tapped the ashes from his pipe bowl. "Never fear. We'll get to Rivendell, one way or another."

Artemis started rinsing out her bowl and the little pot in a nearby stream that was so cold her fingers simply gave up and went completely numb, she had to grin, she was on an epic quest with a wizard. 'Cool.' She thought to herself.


	7. Chapter 7

Lord Elrond came riding up to the gate at dawn and the whole house was bustling with news, gossip and glad tidings that their master had returned. Adessa was woken by the clamor from the lower floors and after a moment Legolas slipped into her room. "He is back and wants to see you." He said softly. "He's giving you a private audience so wear your best."

"Good morning..." She muttered, clutching to the soft pillow beneath her head and wanting to bury her face into it.

Adessa blinked sleep from her eyes and pushed herself up from the plush pillows that had greeted her with sleep. Her bed was amazingly soft and comfortable and she found it harder to get out of bed here than she had at the inns she and Legolas had stayed in when the hour had grown too late and they were forced to stay at an inn, their beds were nothing like this one. She pushed back the covers to reveal a plain cotton nightgown and went to her bag to pull out the same attire she had woken up in when she first came to Middle Earth.

Taking these into her simple bathroom, Adessa pulled on her form fitting white pants and then pulled her dress with the long slits up the sides, over her head until she could arrange them properly. Her white corset that she laced around her waist with light blue and silver embroidery worked in various floral and vine designs. The sleeves of her dress she laced carefully at her biceps and let the rest of the ribbons flowing down her arms with the sleeves. Adessa pulled on her gray boots and laced them up to her mid-shin before running a brush through her tangled mess of hair and placing the diadem in the middle of her forehead. Once she was satisfied that she looked presentable, she fluttered her wings a bit, folded them behind her and stepped out of the bathroom and folding the nightgown to return it to the bed.

"I'm just about ready." She announced and passed by Legolas to get to the wardrobe and dug around for a light gray cloak. "There's just a bit of a chill in the air this morning... Did you rest well Legolas?"

He didn't answer immediately and she noticed that his gaze seemed fixated on her but he snapped out of it and nodded. "I did, it is always restful in the Valley."

She couldn't have said why but she had the feeling he wasn't being entirely truthful but he didn't seem to want her to pry. He offered his arm so he could escort her to her audience with Lord Elrond. Quickly wrapping the cloak around her shoulders after folding her wings close to her body, Adessa took a deep breath to calm her growing nerves and gently rested her hand over Legolas's, allowing him to lead the way. She couldn't help but look around at the hanging tapestries and the light of the morning sun dancing in through the windows and between the open aired hallways. Thoughts of what Lord Elrond might be like started to run through her head and as they drew closer to his private audience chambers, Adessa's legs began to feel like jelly and she took a final breath as they approached the chamber doors.

'Relax Adessa and remain calm, this could be the moment that you get your memories back.' Adessa thought to herself before chancing a glance at Legolas and then her fears were quieted. "This is it."

An attendant opened the door and escorted them into Elrond's private study where a table with a simple breakfast of fruit, bread and cheeses laid out. Elrond stood and smiled gently at her. He was a tall man with broad shoulders and dark hair. His features were perhaps a little less refined than some of the other elves she'd seen but he was still handsome and his bearing was as regal as any elf she'd met. "Ah, you must be Lady Adessa. Welcome, please join me for a meal."

"Thank you for having us, my Lord Elrond, we graciously accept your invitation." Adessa replied with a smile, startling herself as to how calm she had become. "I am and I must say that your city is by far the most beautiful I have ever seen."

She gave Lord Elrond a respectful curtsy and she and Legolas were seated at the long table. Upon given permission to begin, Adessa began to serve herself some fruit and ate slowly, savoring the fresh flavors of the fruit. She knew that at the present time she should wait before asking the questions that she really wanted to know the answers too, so she proceeded to compliment Lord Elrond on his gardens and his generosity for their chambers and his overall hospitality.

He gave her time to eat then spoke softly. "When Legolas informed me that he had brought a guest with him I was naturally curious. Especially when I was informed by the servants that she was not an elf, nor was she human. So tell me, what are you?"

Adessa was slightly surprised that the other Rivendell Elves had figured out that she wasn't of their race, but then again she couldn't have been too surprised because they were very observant and her lack of composure upon their arrival surely didn't help her at all. Taking a sip of her water, she set it down and glanced at Legolas before giving him a small smile and then turned her attention to Lord Elrond. "That is the problem I face my Lord Elrond, I don't know what I am." Adessa started a small frown touching her lips. "I can't recall anything about myself, where I came from or even what my memories may contain. This is why Legolas brought me to Rivendell, it was... is my hope that you might know how I can get my memories back. It was also my hope that you or someone else would know what I was."

Adessa saw no point in wearing her gray cloak anymore and since the sun was starting to shine brightly through the large open windows she stood and untied it and draped it over the back of her chair. Giving her wings a quick shuffle to unfurl them from her back, the light caught them just so and illuminated their deep blue and silver color. She remained standing, not quite sure how she was going to return to her chair without littering the it with the dust from her wings. "Please tell me you may have at least an idea of what I could be."

Legolas stood and arranged the cloak over her chair to keep her wing dust from coating the fine velvet. He held the chair out so she could sit again. Elrond was fingering a medallion on a chain around his neck considering her. "I have read in accounts of the First Age that there were many races of beings that no longer walk among us. It is said that there were a race of beings that tended the Trees of Valinor before Ungoliant destroyed them and their tenders. A race that was blessed by the light of the Trees to fly on wings of light made flesh."

"Thank you Legolas..." Adessa said carefully sitting again and this time sitting on the edge of her chair so her wings could move on their own. "Do you know what my kin were called? And how I might acquire my memories again?" Now she was getting somewhere, but now she had more questions to ask and not enough answers. Perhaps there were books in his library that might contain the information she required. Adessa sighed and picked at the grapes on her plate before eating them. "Where is Valinor and do the Ungoliants exist now?"

Elrond looked a little surprised and leaned back in his chair. "This might be a longer meeting than I initially thought. Ungoliant was an evil spirit in the form of a giant spider who devoured herself in the First Age. None know where Valinor once was, if you wish to know more of the history of Middle Earth I will show you to my private library so you may learn of it. As to what your kind were called I believe the old tongue named them Faery."

"Faery..." Adessa repeated, trying to place the name with the information she'd just learned. "A journey to find Valinor would be a trip to remember, but there would be no telling where to start looking and there wouldn't be time for that." She shook her head and let out a breath before taking another sip of her cool water.

"Where to begin to understand the my Faery kin and what their abilities may have been... I think I would spend a lifetime in your library trying to learn everything I could about Middle Earth and the history of this world. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

Elrond shook his head. "I can tell you no more than what little I have, however were you to travel to Lothlorien you could ask Celeborn as he is older still than I. He is one of the few who remain from the beginning of the Second Age and he might yet remember the Faery race."

"Thank you my Lord Elrond." Adessa said softly, giving him a happy smile. "You've been so helpful and I'm grateful, I apologize for taking up your time. I just have one last thing to ask of you... How would I go about retrieving my memories? On our travels to Rivendell, Legolas suggested thinking of a person's face and it worked up until a point but then everything returned to a fuzzy mess again."

"I will have to consider that problem at some length. I have never encountered someone who has lost all memory of themselves. I invite you to stay as my guest for as long as you need." He gave her a gentle smile.

His expression and eyes were gentle and sincere, she could see why he was a great leader. Regal and wise was this Elf sitting before her, that she could see why he would be respected throughout his race. "Thank you for your time my Lord, I think I'll try some meditation and see if I can clear up some of the haziness." Adessa said, finishing her food and water. "This valley is so peaceful and beautiful that there are some spots here that will be perfect for meditation... I wonder if there are crystals here just like in the cave I woke up in."

She was quite taken with this idea and figured that once she finished wandering through the gardens and library she would try to find them. There would probably be a map in the library that she could look at and hopefully be able to sense them. "Please don't blame me if I decide to never leave your beautiful city."

He chuckled and stood holding a hand out to her to help her up from her seat. "We shall see." He looked at Legolas. "Please stay here for a moment, I have a few things I'd like to speak with you about."

When he escorted her out he gave instructions to an attendant to escort her to the library and help her find any subject she was interested in.

Adessa thanked Lord Elrond again as her attendant lead her away to the library. As they walked through the halls quite a few Elves turned from their tasks to watch them pass before whispering to their partners. She tried not to be bothered while they walked but the shuffling of her wings gave away her slight annoyance, but what could she really do?

"It must be because there haven't been Faeries around for a long time." Adessa said with a sigh. "I wonder if there could be anymore of us in Middle Earth."

"I must apologize my Lady, but you are right. There are very few Elves old enough to remember the Faeries so this is a rare encounter for us all." Her attendant said softly.

"Then I won't feel too strange about this, but it will be strange nonetheless."

When the attendant opened the door to the library, Adessa was instantly transported to a new world. Everywhere she looked there were books, scrolls and pamphlets on rolls upon rolls of shelves, every bit of knowledge was clean and dust free and completely unoccupied by any other being. Running her fingers over the spines of the books, she couldn't begin to know where to start. Pulling a thin brown leather bound book from the shelf to her right, Adessa slowly and carefully flipped through the pages, soaking up the information like a sponge and committing it her memory... her new memory. She let her attendant move about freely and kept herself busy by pulling several books from the shelves and finding a large map of the far wall of the library.

"This making more sense now, there's so many books and scrolls to read and I'll have plenty of time." She said with a smile and then a sudden thought came to her and she looked around to find the library quiet still. "I wonder what Legolas and Lord Elrond are talking about, I hope everything is okay." Returning to the map, Adessa used her finger to tap the map and found a few caves that might be promising.

She heard a soft gasp from behind her and turned to see a beautiful elven woman who looked young for her race. Her hair was so black it had blue highlights in the weak sunlight streaming in through the window. Her skin was white as a lily and her blue eyes seemed almost unreal. She was ethereal in her beauty and the delight and surprise on her young face made her all the prettier. "Are those real?" She asked her voice sounding like a babbling brook on the hottest summer day.

"Hm?" Adessa made a noise and turned slightly away from the maps and the scroll in her hands to see the woman eying her wings. "Yes they are..." She gave them enough of a flutter to kick up a little wind and blow the breeze over the books and papers on the table behind her. With a small smile she nodded and then turned completely to the woman.

"I'm Adessa, what are you called?"

"My name is Arwen." The elven woman replied and approached with wonder on her face. "They look so delicate. I've never seen anyone with wings like a Moon Moths before… and such a lovely color."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my Lady." Adessa replied, a small smile on her lips. "And thank you, as far as I know I am the only Faery left and I'm trying to find out more about my kin and Valinor. But at the moment I'm trying to locate some crystals, much like the ones I had in my cave."

She turned back to the map for a moment before taking a few of the books she didn't need anymore and fluttering up and replacing the books again. The last thing she wanted to do was leave the library a mess and sometimes she ended up hovering in place while flipping through a few pages, but they did give her an advantage... she didn't need a ladder or a step stool to get to the books and scrolls at the top shelves.

"The glowing crystals of my sanctuary were massive and beautiful. There was a soft radiance to them that was soothing and peaceful, I'm hoping to find some here."

Arwen shook her head. "We have no such crystals here in Rivendell. If you wish to know of Valinor you should read the Treatise on the First Age by Alenvial the Elder. Its that blue one on the very top, so far as I know there is no book in the Library about the Faery Race, we thought it was no more than a legend so old as to be forgotten in all but dream."

"Some Legends are woven with facts." Adessa said softly, a smile touching her lips when she spotted the book Arwen was talking about. "Ah there it is."

Her shoulders twitched again and her wings seemed to vanish as she beat them so fast that she took off and had to briefly run her fingers over the spines until she found the book again. Everything seemed to shift slightly when she was in the air as opposed to when she was on the ground so she wasn't surprised when it took her a pretty minute to find the book. Pulling it gently from the shelf, Adessa ran her fingers over the silver lettering inscribed on the cover and smiled. Alighting to the polished marble floor, she smiled and then looked out the window to see the sun was already up to noonday and the warm breeze wafted through the transparent curtains and brought with it the scent of flowers.

"This day will be too pretty to stay indoors..." She started, giving Arwen a smile. "I think I'll enjoy it more outside in the gardens, I've wanted to see them since I got here yesterday... my Lady."

"Oh you can just call me Arwen. I'll show you to my favorite of the gardens if you like." She smiled and for just a second Adessa saw the face of another dark haired woman superimposed over Arwens face with an infectious grin but it passed before Adessa could garner more details.

"That would be perfect." Adessa said with another smile. "I will have to tour the rest after reading this book, I hope it will have everything that I need to know, including any special abilities my kinsmen might have had. I can say that its interesting that the Faery seem to be not only rejuvenated by the moon but also seem to draw on it for power too."

She allowed Lady Arwen to lead her through the hallways and out onto the grounds, the sweet air bringing to them a mixture of floral scents that were pleasing to their noses. The sunlight felt warm on Adessa's skin and she couldn't help but smile, her wings fanning open and closed to the point that they lifted her into the air and steadied her over the flower bushes. "I could stay here forever." She breathed, hazel eyes sparkling in the light. "This place is perfect and peaceful, I don't think I could ever leave."

Arwen smiled and plucked a snow lily. "It is a lovely place but there is so much of the world to see that is just as wonderful. Lothlorien is a wonder and Father once took me as a very young girl to Mirkwood. And I've read of the many wonders of the dwarven strongholds." She sighed and tucked the flower into her hair where it shone like mother of pearl against her black hair.

Adessa smiled at how the flower enhanced Arwen's natural beauty and then she suddenly got an idea. Taking a handful of the beautiful flowers from a cluster at her feet, Adessa started to weave them together in an intricate fashion and then tied off the ends and hid them beneath the soft, white petals. Making one for herself, she placed it on her head and then, beating her wings, Adessa hovered over Arwen and placed the floral wreath on her own head gently.

"Perfect." She said with a grin. "You look even more pretty now."

Fluttering back down to the ground again, she clapped her hands together with glee and clutched her book under her arm. Arwen laughed and continued her tour of her favorite gardens.


	8. Chapter 8

Elrond motioned for Legolas to sit while he walked back to his chair then sat and regarded the younger elf. He had heard of the argument between Thranduil and Legolas which led to Legolas leaving Mirkwood. It worried him and he wasn't entirely sure he could be party to the exile but as Legolas had come in the company of a woman who seemed to be of the Faery Race he felt compelled to know more. "Legolas, what can you tell me of Adessa?"

Legolas thought for a moment and Elrond watched a faint flicker in the younger elf's eyes and had to suppress a small smile. "She is innocent." Legolas finally said. "As she doesn't know who she is or where she comes from she is curious and almost childlike in her wonder. I found her hiding in a crystal cavern the likes of which I've only read of and while she was initially frightened she came to trust me quickly, as though she had no concept of evil."

Elrond nodded and fiddled with the medallion again thinking. "How deep is the memory loss?"

"Very, she does not even know the basic history or peoples of Middle Earth." Legolas replied. "But she retains whatever she is told as though it is only confirmation of hidden knowledge."

"Does she possess any power?" Elrond asked.

"Not so far as we've been able to tell. She can fly and moon light seems to imbue her with strength but what she may yet do with it is unknown." Legolas leaned back and looked pensive.

They sat that way for a moment, each immersed in his own thoughts until Elrond spoke again. "She seems very fond of you."

Legolas gave a small start and Elrond had to firm his face to keep from smiling. "I am her first connection to the world that she has memory of." Legolas replied stiffly.

Elrond did smile at that. "You do her an injustice. I believe that in time with the aid of others she will regain her memories and nothing of her feelings for you will change. The Bonding is in its infancy though you can still end it with distance."

Legolas frowned at the suggestion but changed the topic. "My father told me to seek out a human named Strider, whose name I must learn from him. He is of the Human Rangers. Do you know of such a man?"

Elrond nodded. "I do, though he is still a very young Man. He was here not seven days hence but he has gone to see his family for a time. My daughter, who has been his companion these last five years, misses him greatly and I think he will be back by Spring."

Legolas nodded. "With your leave I would await him."

Elrond considered him and the situation with calm considering eyes. "Perhaps, I make no promises until I can determine which way events will flow"

"I understand." Legolas replied and stood. "By your leave Lord Elrond, I would take in the peace of the Valley while the sun is up."

"Go in peace." Elrond replied and watched Legolas leave.

'That young elf is as snared by the Bond as the girl and neither yet sees it. It will be interesting to see how they handle such trials.' He smiled remembering his Bonding to Galadriel, a bonding which produced his beloved daughter Arwen.

It was a short Bonding, Galadriel loved the Wood of Lothlorien too greatly to remain in Rivendell but he did not begrudge her or rue their parting, she did after all visit regularly and he was content. This burgeoning bonding between Legolas and Adessa was sure to be a tale of an age however and he was curious to know where she had come from. His retainer came in and he was called back to the business of the day.


	9. Chapter 9

Artemis concentrated on weaving the threads of her power in her minds eye her eyes only half focused as she used her power to create a seamless shirt out of a single piece of fabric. She'd very nearly gotten the hang of it the day before. Under Gandalf's tutelage while they traveled she'd gained a lot of control over her power though she knew some of that was due to prior experience in both Greece and her own World. She'd been a witch and had used energy and magic before which gave her a leg up on the lessons. She had surprised Gandalf when she hadn't needed a Focus like his staff to work with her power, apparently no Wizard could use Magic without a staff and he'd muttered angrily about that for hours.

He'd also muttered angrily over her refusal to talk about her Universe or what she knew of Middle Earth. "If I told you what is going to happen what would you do about it?" Artemis had finally asked challengingly.

He'd grudgingly admitted that he would attempt to alter the outcome and she'd nodded in understanding. "But that would upset everything else and could even lead to none of this existing at all. I won't take that risk. I was brought here to change something, even if I don't understand what yet I Know, with a capital K, that I was not brought here to tell you the whole of your future."

He puffed at his pipe irritably for a minute then chuckled. "Here I am, older than you by many many years and you are teaching me the value of patience." He'd laughed and she laughed with him.

He realized he liked this strange woman with her sharp tongue and dry humor, she was intelligent and capable and though she was concerned for her friend she had not let the worry consume her like many would have. She instead focused on becoming better with her power and though he would never tell her she was already as strong as he if not as experienced. It was only in sleep that he saw her vulnerable, she fretted in her sleep murmuring and speaking strange names, at one point she had sat bolt upright and screamed the name Dahok in terror. It had startled him but when he'd shaken her she'd woken confused and refused to speak of whomever Dahok was.

They were still many leagues away from Rivendell and supplies were running low, it was also starting to snow, he cleared his throat. "It may be prudent for us to find somewhere to stop until the worst of the early winter storms catch us out of doors."

Artemis was inspecting the shirt she'd finished with a critical eye, he'd noticed that she was a very capable seamstress and seemed to prefer doing some things without the aid of Magic at all. "I don't want to come to rely on Magic. It might fail me at a critical moment if I rely too much on it." She'd explained.

She sighed and nodded reluctantly. "I've been thinking the same. I don't like the idea of being stuck in one place for weeks not knowing where Tracey is but if we freeze to death that does her no good either."

"The Winter storms only last a few weeks at most this far south. As soon as they pass we can continue, by then I can have horses to carry us." He said with a shrug.

She gave him a sidelong look from those keen dark eyes of hers. "You're going to stay with me?"

He shifted a little uncomfortably before he got control of himself. At times she seemed to know too many things about him and it unnerved him a little. "Of course, I can hardly leave you alone to manage as you may."

She smiled and then laughed. "I'm teasing Gandalf. We'll find a place to stay tomorrow."

He laughed with her but promised himself that he would start plying her more subtly for information, he hated not knowing anything.


	10. Chapter 10

Adessa and Legolas stayed in Rivendell for nearly three weeks and in that time she read everything the library had to offer about Valinor and anything that even hinted at the Faery Race as well as any books regarding memories or loss therein but she was no closer to recovering her memories or learning who and what she was. Additionally she'd started having strange dreams, she dreamed of a tall fair haired youth with blue eyes who stood like a leader and kissed her sweetly. Dreams of a dark haired dark eyed woman wreathed in flame then wearing strange clothes standing beside a very tall man who resembled a bipedal turtle though that was so outlandish she dismissed it as fantasy brought on by the strange books she'd been reading. She had had one nightmare that left her sobbing in terror, a black pool with red viper's eyes that whispered horrible truths and promised horrors beyond her understanding then it had morphed into the dark haired woman with the red viper's eyes setting herself ablaze and she knew with certainty that the woman would be doomed. She'd jolted from that nightmare and it had been three nights before she could bear to sleep again.

She'd also started having dreams about Legolas that made her blush but those were the dreams she looked forward to even as they made her squirm when she found herself in his company. She'd just finished breakfast when an attendant came to her and told her Lord Elrond wished to speak to her. "Thank you." Adessa replied, scooting her chair back from the small table in her room, wiping her lips with a cloth and then folding it neatly to show she was finished.

She didn't want to keep Lord Elrond waiting and so she quickly splashed some water on her face, dabbed her skin dry and ran her brush through her hair. Fitting the diadem to her hair and forehead, Adessa shuffled her wings a bit and nodded her head to show that she was ready to go. The attendant gave her a small bow and lead her from her sleeping chambers and down the halls toward Lord Elrond's private chambers. Adessa wondered what he would want to speak to her about and then hoped that he might have had a solution to her memory problems. She wanted to quicken her pace, but if she did she might have started to fly the rest of the was to his private library and leave her attendant in the dust. They drew up to the doors and Adessa dismissed her guide, who bowed and left her alone in the hallway. "My Lord Elrond? You wished to speak with me?" She asked, knocking softly on the door and waiting for permission to enter.

When he gave her permission to enter she pushed the door open. He was standing at the window a parchment in hand and he smiled when she came in. "Adessa, please have a seat." He motioned gracefully to the chair by the window.

Giving him a small, respectable bow of her head, she did as she was bidden to do and took the seat, sitting on the edge of the chair so her back remained straight and her wings were unruffled. "You look pleased my Lord, have you received good news about something?" Adessa asked curiously, tilting her head to the side and giving him an intrigued look. "What has happened?"

He sat across from her and smiled a little. "I have had word from Galadriel, Lady of Lothlorien. She sometimes has visions and has sent word to me that she wishes you to journey to her. She believes she has had a vision that would explain who you are but she would not write of it in her letter."

"The Lady of The Golden Wood? Wants me to see her? That is truly an honor." Adessa answered, a grin spreading across her lips. "After reading a lot about Middle Earth and the wide landscapes and mountain ranges, I am more confident in myself to step out again."

Adessa had been quite pleased with herself, taking it in her best interest to study all the maps and geographical books she could get her hands on in the library as she could. She would often spend many an hour pouring over scrolls and sheets of parchment that contained information on plants, animals, region's, people, cultures, and things like that. There were often times that she would spend entire nights alone surrounded by books. Going back through all that knowledge she figured it would take up to about two or three weeks to venture all the way to The Golden Wood by foot, perhaps a days less by flying, and about three days even less by riding a good portion of the way.

"When is Lady Galadriel expecting me my Lord?" She asked, tapping a finger to her chin, already starting to think about what supplies she'd need to pack and what the weather would be like."Would Legolas be coming with me as well? I don't foresee there being any trouble on the road."

He chuckled and set the letter down on the windowsill. "She has asked to speak to Legolas as well in regards to a personal matter so he will be going with you. I will be providing you both with horses and supplies and a gift for the Lady. Though all seems tranquil here the world outside this gentle valley is fraught with perils. I must warn you that there are dark forces stirring and you may not find the road so easy. And there is something… strange in the world now. I have felt it, like a pluck on a harpstring, not evil but strange. You must be cautious."

Adessa saw that his usually calm and fatherly brown eyes had a glint of worry and this caused her to be concerned too. If this great Elven Lord and skilled warrior was worried then there was cause for her to worry too. After all, he had seen far more of this world than she had and he had lived countless years which gave him the experience to read the signs. She stood and nodded, giving him another curtsy, her wings fluttering open and closed behind her. "Thank you for all of your assistance my Lord, your generosity knows no limits and if there's anything I can do to repay your kindness please don't hesitate. You have but to ask and I shall do what needs to be done." Adessa said kindly, straightening her posture. "When shall we be leaving, my Lord?"

"Tomorrow at first light. It is several weeks to Lothlorien and there is the possibility of poor weather. I will have supplies readied and traveling attire brought to your rooms. You will have the rest of today to make your goodbyes to my daughter." He smiled broadly, he was pleased that Arwen and Adessa had become friends.

"Thank you again my Lord Elrond, by your leave." She said, turning on her heel and leaving the chambers, shutting the door behind her. 'I'm so happy that Legolas is coming with me.'

With this thought filling her with happiness, Adessa couldn't help but add a little skip in her step and a flutter of her wings. Her joy couldn't be anymore obvious as she wandered through the gardens, running her fingers over the flowers, plucking a few here and there, and humming a nonsense tune that she put together on her own. She didn't know if it had any meaning of it's own but since she couldn't put any words to it, she was satisfied to hum it to herself. Finding Arwen in her favorite section of garden, Adessa leapt up and flew the rest of the way to her, touching back to the ground a foot from her and smiling.

"Arwen, tomorrow Legolas and I are going to Lothlorien." She said, handing her a few of the snow lilies she had gathered and sat down on the stone bench in the circlet of rose bushes. "I wanted to let you know before we left and I will miss you, but if everything goes well we should be returning soon, perhaps even three weeks or so."

Arwen laughed and stood up a bundle of flowers and other plants in her arms. "Adessa is it near three weeks just to reach the river Anduin. From there is is likely a month to Lothlorien. Mother lives in Lothlorien and I visit her often, like as not you and I will not meet until the end of Summer again if fortune is kind."

"Perhaps I need to study my maps again." She asked, slightly confused at how her geography could have been so far off. "I'll get it soon enough, perhaps later this afternoon I will look at the maps again and make sure I don't mess up again. Some navigator I would be if I couldn't do my job the right way." She gave a small laugh at this and hid another fit of giggles behind her hand while shifting her own bundle of flowers in her arms.

"Let's put these pretties in some vases and brighten up some rooms with them. I find their colors to be lightening and refreshing. Perhaps your father you enjoy a flower arrangement in his study?"

Arwen chuckled. "If you are using the maps in the library then it is little wonder you are mistaken. Those are many hundreds of years old and the Anduin changed its course not 400 years ago when an Earthquake brought a mountain down. So many things have changed but so few elves leave Rivendell that we've not updated any of the maps." She led Adessa inside and started sorting through the flowers.

"Ah, my mistake then." She laughed, laying out her flowers before her on the table and carefully cut the ends of the stems before arranging them into three separate vases.

She figured that one would go to her room, another she'd deliver to the library and the last she thought about taking to Legolas's room to brighten it up with their beauty and fragrance, but didn't know if he'd go for something like that, but she'd try anyway, if only to make him smile. As an afterthought, Adessa couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Legolas, she had spent so much time with Arwen and her studies in the library that she had nearly pushed him to the edge of her mind. Having wanted to learn all she could of Middle Earth could anyone really blame her? She hoped he didn't and took up the vases she had designated for the library, her room and his.

"I must leave you for now Arwen... I think the library could use a few of these." She said with a smile and made her way out of the room.  
Stepping out quickly, Adessa went to the library first and set the first vase of flowers on the table, only having to clear away a few pieces of parchment to make room for them. That took only a moment and then she went to her own room and placed her vase on the small table she had eaten breakfast on a few hours before. Lastly she closed the door behind her and took a deep breath before knocking on the carved door to Legolas's room. "Legolas? Are you here?" She asked softly, hoping that if he was resting that she wouldn't be bothering him.

He opened the door with a smile and she felt herself flush. He was wearing a pair of light leather trousers and his usual green tunic but it was open at the neck showing a pale expanse of chest and he was barefoot, it was as close to undressed as she'd seen him and his hair was loose. "Good morning Adessa." He said quietly and stepped back so she could enter. "I received a message from Lord Elrond that we've been invited to Lothlorien."

Smiling quickly to ease the onset of a blush to her pleasantly pale skin, Adessa inclined her head a bit and stepped inside, trying her best to get her racing heart to stop beating so quickly. Ever since she had started having those dreams about him, the butterflies in her stomach seemed to come alive every time she saw him and there wasn't any help for that. There was just something about him that made her go weak in the knees. It was unclear if it was his personality, his fair and handsome appearance, or the way he looked at her that made her feel this way, but there was something and she would tenderly and carefully explore it.

"Yes Lord Elrond informed me this morning as well..." She said softly, glancing over her shoulder at him while setting the vase of flowers on the small table and chair set his room, like her's, had had. "I hope I'm not intruding, but Arwen and I picked flowers from the garden and arranged them together. There were so many that we had to divide them into several vases."

She smiled and spruced up a few flowers before stepping back to admire her work with a nod. "I thought you might like a few to brighten up your room a little."

He touched the petals of a flower and smiled. "They are lovely, though it seems a shame to sequester them here when we will be gone in the morning."

Adessa nodded thoughtfully about his statement and then came up with a solution. "I don't know the Faery have the ability to preserve flowers and such, but before we leave perhaps we can take them to the dining hall and allow others to enjoy them." She replied, pushing a few strands of hair out of her face. "That will work, that way their beauty won't go unobserved and can be appreciated."

She looked up at Legolas's face and studied him for a short time, some small extra lines seemed to appear around his perfect blue eyes. This worried her a little and then there might have been a few dark circles under his eyes but she couldn't be sure. 'I wonder if he's sleeping well.' She thought to herself.

"Perhaps you can try to preserve them? To see if you do have that power." Legolas suggested as he swiftly swept his hair back and braided it then set about looking for the left boot which had gone missing somewhere.

Adessa thought about it and then set about staring at the flowers intently. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, she focused on the flowers and outstretched her hands to them. It looked like she was almost about to cradle them in her palms, but leaving enough space between her hands and the vase to cushion them with air. Her hands began to slightly glow with a pale light, much like that of the crystals in her sanctuary, and slowly the light grew brighter. A delighted grin was set about her lips as she worked. Drawing her hands up so she could start at the top of the flowers, Adessa slowly lowered them to the table, creating a visible sheet of her energy over them. When she let go of the power, the visible shimmer rippled and then vanished, leaving the beautiful flowers as they were, except slightly brighter and lush. "It worked!" Adessa laughed and let out a rush of air. "Legolas it actually worked!"

He carefully touched one of the flowers and looked surprised. "They are as hard as crystal." He said and tapped the petal with his finger nail making a soft pinging sound.

Gazing at the flowers too, Adessa carefully brushed her fingers over them and blinked. "But they're still beautiful... I wonder how long they'll stay like this." She said softly. "I don't think I've prolonged their life at all, they just won't die as quickly as they might have, still it's a wondrous thing... oh did you find your boot? Some creatures seem to like taking the left boot, or so I've read."

She laughed lightly, her voice sounding like chimes blowing gently in a warm breeze. Folding her wings and letting them drape against her back, Adessa turned to the windows of his room and gaze outside. He was right, the view was even more lovely from his vantage point.

He smiled and held up the boot before sitting down to pull it on. "I'm going to the stables to pick a pair of horses for our journey. Would you like to come with me?

"It would be my pleasure." Adessa replied, turning from the window with a new glow about her. "The whole time we have been here, I had yet to ask Lord Elrond to view his horses, even to take them out for a spell... not that I don't think he wouldn't allow me to, but because I was intrigued by his massive library!"

She giggled softly and walked to the door, opening it and waiting for him to finish lacing up his boots. "I bet they're gorgeous."

"The only horses more beautiful and more prized re the horses of Rohan." He said and led her towards the stables.

Adessa nodded, recalling something about them in the books that she had read about the other Races and their cultures. "Ah yes, the Realm of the Horse Lords." She replied, tapping her chin thoughtfully and matching Legolas's long strides with her own. It didn't take them long to get to the stables and soon enough Adessa's pointed ears wiggled upon hearing the neighs of the horses and clopping of hooves on stone walkways and hay. Stablehands and the Stable Master moved about the stalls, mucking them, bringing in fresh hay and grains to feed the beautiful beasts. Others ran to and fro with brushes and combs to care for the horses. Adessa couldn't stop her head from spinning, looking from each horse with wonder and shaking her head.

"We are going to have a hard time choosing horses Legolas... they're all perfect." She said with a quiet laugh. "And just one more reason I would stay in Rivendell forever."

Many of the horses neighed as they were handled with the utmost care and Adessa walked up and down several aisles, looking at each one and whispering soft words to the few whose head popped out over their stall doors to greet them. There were a number of gray Arabian horses, Rowan, Bays, Morgans, Friesians... too many to choose from. She shook her head again and couldn't decide.

Legolas seemed to have no such trouble choosing and made a quick examination of two piebald patterned geldings of indeterminate breed. They didn't look as graceful as any of the other beasts in the stables but they frisked and whinnied when he approached showing their spirit and their readiness to be out and about. He nodded as he checked them over and flipped a pair of wooden tags on the doors over to show that these two were spoken for. "We have hard riding ahead and these are the sturdiest. They will manage very well on the journey."

Adessa came forward and held out a hand to each horse, receiving a few snorts and gentle touches of their noses into her palms. A small nod from her showed that she agreed with his statement and she gently rubbed their chins before moving to their cheeks and then to the stars in the middle of their foreheads.

"What luck this is my friends, they will bear us well." She cooed gently before turning to Legolas. "They are twins and are both quite free spirited. I think we have the perfect traveling companions here... Fleet-foot and Summer Breeze, perfect names for the pair."

He chuckled. "We do not name horses Adessa. They are too short lived for that. In anycase they are not ours to name, they belong to Lord Elrond. I've some arrangements to make, I will see you at dinner?"

Adessa smirked and shook her head and patted the horses on their necks. "I didn't name them Legolas, that is their names. Don't ask me how but they told me." She replied quietly. "Yes, I will see you at dinner. After I make sure my things are packed in my knapsacks I will probably make myself scarce in the library or the gardens since it will be a while before I see them again... will you need any help?"

He gave her a smile and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "If you say those are their true names I'll not say it isn't so. I don't need any help. Enjoy your last evening in Rivendell, I do not know when we'll be back."

He turned and started walking away pausing only to leave instructions with the stablehand. Adessa could feel her face heating up from the brush of his fingers across her cheek when he pushed the hair out of her face and she touched her cheek with her own cool fingers to try to cool down her cheeks again.

'Why does he effect so much!?' She nearly screamed at herself, looking back to the horses in front of her and shaking her head when they nickered good naturedly back at her. "You can't tell anyone... it will be our secret."

Taking an apple from a barrel next to the tack room, she cut it in half and fed them to the horses with a smile. She touched a finger to her lips to motion it would be their little secret and then left the stables, going back to her room to pull things together so she wouldn't have to worry about them in the morning. It didn't take her long to collect the few articles of clothing she had arrived in Rivendell with and packed them up in her knapsack. Since she had time to spare, Adessa decided to fly through the gardens at a leisurely pace, greeting the few Elves tending the gardens here and there and helping where she could assist before moving on to the riverside. She sat alongside the water and gazed at her reflection and trails her fingers in the water, poking at the few floating leaves, causing them to ride her ripples down the current.

"Why would I ever leave this place?" She asked no one in particular and taking a deep breath of the fresh air. The weather was warm and thoroughly pleasant, absolutely no reason she would ever leave this place.

As her mind wandered she found herself thinking about the dream she'd had the night before, she'd been in a strange place, sitting in a chair, a wheel in front of her and odd music playing. She could hear a voice singing beside her and when she looked it had been the dark haired woman with a smile on her face singing sweetly. "Oh misty eye of the Mountain below/ keep careful watch of my brothers soul/ and should the sky fill with fire and smoke…" She trailed off when she realized Adessa wasn't singing along and looked over at her, dark eyes worried but she's only poked Adessa in the arm and teased. "What did you forget the words?"

The dream had faded but Adessa had woken with the strange feeling that she had to find the dark haired woman, that it was important though she didn't know who she was or why and the feeling had faded quickly.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Arwen sat down beside her and held out a bundle wrapped in cloth. "Would it be too much trouble to ask you to give this to my mother?"

"Hm?"

Adessa made a noise when the images faded from her mind and she was startled by Arwen's sudden appearance. Usually she was slightly more alert than she had just been, but then again Elves moved gracefully and on silent feet so she wasn't surprised that Arwen had snuck up on her as quietly as she had. Giving her a smile, Adessa took the bundle wrapping up in thin cord and looked at it before back over at her.

"It won't be any trouble Arwen." She replied, carefully placing the tiny object in her lap and keeping her hand on it while leaning back on her other arm. "I'm sorry, I was distracted by something before you arrived, but it's gone now."

Arwen smiled softly. "I think I can guess what might have been on your mind." She teased.

Raising an eyebrow slightly and giving Arwen a sideways smirk. "Oh do you now, what do you think was preoccupying my thoughts? Let us see if you're right and are as clever as your Elven race." Adessa replied, turning to face Arwen fully. "Perhaps you are only half right."

Arwen arranged her skirts and tapped her chin with one finger. "Well, You told Seadra that you wanted a book about dreams and got very flustered when she told you that Dreams about men could only mean two things and you've been sitting in the gardens sighing at the Ferns. Since there is only one man you have spent any appreciable time with aside from my Father you've got Legolas on your mind."

Adessa started to giggle at her deductions and shook her head a little. "You are very intuitive Arwen, a quality I highly value in the Elves for you see more than others, but you are only half right." She said, running her fingers over a white lily and sighing absently. "I do think a lot about Legolas, to the point that I do see him in my dreams at times, but those are the only things that distract me anymore. There has been a woman in my dreams of late and for some strange reason I feel compelled to find her... but in another nightmare she was shrouded in darkness and had glowing red eyes, whispering such evil that was to come."

Adessa stopped and drew another calming breath before continuing. "Am I really suppose to find someone like that, even if her face was the first thing that came to me when I was trying to recover my memories? Or should I find them to make sure they don't commit such acts of destruction?" She asked, sighing heavily and shaking her head slightly. "It's all so confusing, but I have to know either way."

Arwen had a pensive look on her face and considered the problem carefully. "Fate is a strange thing." She eventually said. "It draws us like water from a well but with an invisible bucket, maybe you and this woman were friends before she was drawn into darkness, or maybe you have been life long foes, you seeking to put an end to her evil and she seeking to snuff out your light. I think the only thing you can do is follow your intuition and take such paths as feel right. And I'm sure Mother can help you regain your memories."

"It is my sincerest hope that she can." Adessa replied after a moment and smiled, trying not to let her frustrations with herself get Arwen down too. "We can only cross that large bridge when we get to it I guess." She laughed at this and pushed a few stray strands out of her face before looking at the sky and nodding. Slowly she stood up and took a long and lasting look at the stream, the flowers and the range of mountains that created many a water falls around Rivendell and sighed.

"I leave tomorrow with the hopes of returning to this beautiful place again in a month. Such beauty and tranquility here should outlast time itself... Well... come on Arwen, the hour is growing late and I would like to finish a few books in the library and clean it up before the evening meal. A bath is also an order, I refuse to start a journey without one." She smiled and held out her hand to help Arwen to her feet, the tied bundle that she wished for her to give to her mother in Lothlorien clutched in her other hand.

Arwen left her to her preparations and it seemed to Adessa that time moved like a whirlwind now that a plan was in motion. She had just gotten to her room where an attendant had left new clothes and toiletries for her journey when Legolas knocked on the door to escort her to dinner.

Adessa hastily packed the things into her knapsack so as not to keep Legolas waiting for her and left them at the foot of her bed, straightening up her hair and brushing invisible dirt from her dress. She opened the door and smiled sweetly at him. "Impeccable timing my Lord." She laughed, shutting the door behind them and gently laying her hand over his. "It looks like everything is in order for tomorrow like Lord Elrond planned and I am prepared to leave as well. Are you ready to begin our travels to Lothlorien in the morning?"

He nodded. "I am. It will be good to be travelling again. As wondrous as Rivendell is I enjoy traveling the lands of Middle Earth."

Elrond had arranged to have a modest feast in honor of their departure and there was lively music. As they ate Elrond inquired as to her studies and she found herself having an enjoyable conversation concerning the history of Rivendell. Their conversation didn't stop there. At key points in their discussions other topics were touched on briefly, including different cultural items, heroes, great leaders and wise figures from both past and present. Adessa was fascinated by everything that she couldn't help but show her enthusiasm. What intrigued her the most was the festivals, music and foods that were consumed with each.

"It's all so wonderful." She said happily, sitting back in her chair a little and taking a sip of water from her cup. "So much history, so much more to learn. I hope that our business is concluded quickly in Lothlorien so that we may return with all possible speed so I may learn more."

For a time she listened to the music and tapped her slippered feet to the drum beats beneath the table and listened to the soft lullaby of the flute, her fingers tapping on the table. It was so lively that she felt at peace, no worries, no fears... complete and utter peace. After the meal the musicians started playing dancing tunes and the elves got up on pairs and even in groups and started a series of dances that looked to Adessa like flowing water and windswept meadows. She watched as they moved flawlessly from one set to the next then Legolas was holding out his hand to her. "Dance with me?"

She didn't know if the resulting heat on her cheeks was from the candles on the table or from the spiraling braziers behind her, but when she looked into his calm and bright blue eyes, the heat was there and she hoped the lights didn't reveal too much of her pale pink blush. Her heart quickened when she laid her hand in his and took to her feet, allowing him to lead her into the dance. Adessa knew Arwen was smiling knowingly at her, she didn't even have to turn to look in her direction to know she was. "I don't know how to dance Legolas, so I will apologize in advance if I step on your toes." She said quietly, watching the light dance across his face as they stepped out together. 'So long as I don't fall or trip on anything, I will call this evening a success.'

He led her through the first dance which was a lively thing that left her breathless and laughing then another dance and halfway through that one she found she was having no trouble at all keeping up with the steps. The third was the fastest yet with spins twirls and the interchange of partners and she was passed from one laughing elf to another then back to Legolas as the song finished and everyone clapped and took a step back off the dance floor to catch their breaths while the band conferred over what to play next. A few moments later a more sedate song began and Legolas led her through that dance as well. It had a more sensual feel to it and the feel of Legolas's arms around her waist as he guided her through the more complicated forms left her breathless. When that song ended he led her back to her seat and a singer stood and began a ballad while Legolas poured her a glass of sweet wine.

Accepting it gratefully, Adessa tried her hardest to breath evenly again through her laughter and the music. She sipped slowly at the wine Legolas had poured for her, not being used to drinking wine, she didn't want to succumb to it's influences. Finding her breath again, Adessa gave him a happy smile, fluttered her wings before folding them against her back, and complimented him on his dancing skills. "You are a superb dance Legolas and an excellent teacher." She said, her breath returning to her more evenly now and her heart racing becoming more steady again. "I don't think I faltered once under your guidance... you truly are skilled in many ways. Where did you learn to dance like that and how long did it take to master?"

He smiled and sipped his wine. "I've been dancing since I could walk. All elves have. Humans are good dancers as well and I've heard tell of Dwarven dancing and I believe the Hobbits must dance as well but the Elves have the mastery of it."

"After what I've experienced tonight, this I have no doubt." She replied, taking another sip of her wine and giving him a wink. "I would like to learn more of these dances if you are willing to teach me, I think I can learn since I haven't stepped on your toes yet, nor anyone else's for that matter." At this she laughed and was joined by her other dance partners whom she had been passed off to in the third dance. Many gave her compliments on her quickness and lightness of her feet, despite the music being at such a rapid pace. She held her wine glass high, accepting their praise with a smile before sipping again.

The singer finished and the musicians started another dancing tune, this one was just for the women though and Arwen joined her guiding her through the steps which wound a linked line of dancers around in looping patterns as they ducked, weaved and spiraled around the dance floor. The tune changed and added a masculine tone to the song and a line of men joined the dance their line weaving in and around the women so they were crossing over and around each other then suddenly the lines broke apart and each woman was paired with a man and the dancing took each pair out towards the edges in a laughing display of grace. Adessa found herself in the arms of a dark haired elf who smiled at her infectiously before she was passed to another, then another until she found herself with Legolas again. His blue eyes sparkled and he curled his arm around her waist as the dance started to wind down, his face was only inches from hers.

Adessa's breath caught in her throat and tightened, making it slightly awkward for herself up until the point she could only smile widely at him. Legolas was so close, close enough to where she could feel his breath on her skin, his scent was sweet like the wind, but an underlying smell of ocean breeze that made her smile even more. She liked how perfectly her hands fit in his, their forms met perfectly and there wasn't anything remotely awkward about them as they danced. It was almost like there was no need for words, their eyes could speak in volumes and right now his were bright, happy, and wild with delight. "I am happiest here..." She stated softly, breathing low while her pointed ears wiggling a little and a pale pink shade appeared there. "...with you."

She couldn't believe what she had said, but she spoke from her heart. Perhaps it was too early to have told him she wondered? But how else could she explain why he made her heart light as a feather, how he made her feel weak at a simple and gentle touch, and how her pulse race every time he looked in her direction or pushed hair from her face? She couldn't explain it, but now he knew and whatever happened from there the fates would have their fun.

He looked a little surprised but not unhappy. "We won't be here much longer." He said simply. "And we'll see how happy you are with me after several weeks journey." He chuckled and touched the tip of her nose before escorting her off the dance floor.

When he touched her nose a memory floated through her mind of the countless times she'd done that with the dark haired woman to make her laugh. She heard the delighted laughs and smokey chuckles as the woman tossed her hair out of her face and tried to touch Adessa's nose, then the memory was gone and she felt something hard in the pit of her stomach as another memory, one from the nightmare she'd had the night before floated p, of the dark haired woman dressed in clothing made of flames, red eyes glowing as she laughed high and cruel. Legolas had a hand on her shoulder, the other around her waist holding her up. "Adessa, are you alright?" He asked his voice concerned, she felt him holding her up and realized her knees had gone to jelly.

"I think I need to sit down... please." She said, her voice quivering a little, breathing uneven, and the rest of her body shaking. "And a cool towel too please." She held onto Legolas's hand as he carefully led her back to her seat and slipped carefully into it.

Placing a hand to her forehead, she first tried to get her breathing back under control and pushed a few strands of hair out of her face. A few of the Elves stopped to observe but Adessa tried to smile and wave away their concerns, trying to play of her sudden fatigue as too much excitement. A servant brought forth a tray of cool towels and she took one, dabbing at her face, and neck gently and taking calming breaths. After a few moments and sips of water from a cup that was brought to her, Adessa was starting to feel better, but she was slightly disturbed by the memory she had seen and her brief zoning out from the party. 'What was that all about?' She wondered.

Elrond came to sit beside her and offered her a cup with some sweet smelling liquid in it. "Not wine." He assured her.

When she sipped it a wash of soothing calm filled her, relaxing her muscles and even making the anxious fluttering of her wings still. "What did you see just then?" He asked quietly and though the memories were frightening they didn't fill her with the dread they had before.  
Taking a deep breath, Adessa recalled what she had seen. "I saw the dark haired woman again, but her eyes were red and her laughter was sharp and cruel. She was wore strange clothes, all of it writhed in flames, but they didn't burn her. The woman was the same I had seen in my dreams and in several memories before now, but I don't understand them." She shook her head, feeling a little more confused than before. "My instincts are telling me to find this woman, but not what I'm suppose to do when I do find her."

Elrond steepled his fingers and considered her for a moment. "What other memories have you had of this woman?"

Closing her eyes to better remember what she had remembered. Adessa let out a small sigh and then something popped into her head. "I remember singing with her, as if we were friends, but then everything goes black and she's not normal as she once was. Certain things have triggered my memories... things that I have done or that we have done together, but I can't piece it all together." She answered, shaking her head and rubbing her temples slightly. "It's all too confusing, I have trouble putting any of it together because it's too unclear."

Elrond rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "All will come clear in time. Lothlorien is a place of peace and healing, no evil may enter save what humans bring with them in their own hearts. If the woman is evil she'll not be able to enter and you will be safe. The night wanes though and you must rise early. Best to get some sleep now."

"Spoken with true wisdom, my Lord Elrond." Adessa said quietly, nodding knowingly. "You are right, we should get some rest now... thank you for the sending off feast, I did enjoy myself. Goodnight all..."

She looked at Legolas and gave him a soft smile before nodding her head and wishing him pleasant dreams. Standing up from her chair slowly and fanning out her wings a bit, Adessa found that she could move with a little more strength than she had before and motioned for Arwen, taking her into a quick hug, whispering softly in her ear her own farewell and then let her go again. She bid the rest of the Elves a good night and goodbyes before starting down the stairs, if she did get a little weak in the legs again she had no doubt that her wings would help her back to her room again.

'I can only hope that everything will be cleared up in Lothlorien...' Adessa mused to herself, holding onto a pillar for a moment and looking out to the moon as it's rays of light peeked through and splashed the hallway with illumination.


	11. Chapter 11

Artemis and Gandalf had passed the winter storms in a small village where the locals seemed all too pleased to have someone new to talk to and about, Artemis's skills with needle and thread were well sought after and well paid as well and within two weeks she was able to replace all the gold and silver she'd spent prior to meeting Gandalf as well as paying the fee for the Inn rooms they'd rented. Gandalf taught her more about her power and the best ways to use it but after a while he had to admit she had as much control as he himself did even if she chose to use it very infrequently.

They were sitting in her room by the large fireplace while she embroidered a hem for the innkeepers wife when she gave him a glance from under her dark lashes. "So Gandalf, how far do you intend to follow me now that I've mastered my power?"

He puffed on his pipe and considered it. "I don't rightly know. Here we are at a midpoint between Rivendell and Lothlorien and I've good reason to visit both. Lothlorien for the healing of someone I failed and Rivendell for the advice of my friend Lord Elrond."

Artemis tied off a thread and snipped it before smoothing the fabric across her knee. "Will the friend take further ill if you delay?"

He thought about it. "Possibly, though truth be told it is three friends and I did tell their caretakers to take them to Lothlorien."

Artemis chuckled as she took up her needle, now freshly threaded with green thread. "You do like to keep secrets Gandalf. Tell me honestly what benefit does all this hoarding of information serve you?"

He puffed on his pipe again. "I could ask you the same question. It is clear to me that you know more than you tell, even accounting for you not being of this world."

Artemis considered him, her needle still while the fire crackled. "The place I come from is dangerous, especially so to this world. I know things about this world that would shatter it, any action I take here has to be planned and taken so as to not stress whatever cracks I've already made and gods above know whatever damage Tracey is doing without realizing it."

"Just so. I can put equal pressure on the world if I am careless and foolish. We both hold this world in clumsy hands and do our best not to damage it." He replied and she smiled.

"Best we both keep our secrets then."

"Quite. The storms have passed and we can continue as soon as you are ready. Do you still mean to go to Rivendell?" He tapped the ashes out of the bowl of his pipe into the fire place and put the pipe away.

"I do. I intend to leave in the morning. I've almost finished with Mistress Aveida's tunic, a few more hours will have it finished. Will you see to the provisions and a pair of horses?" She took up her sewing again and he watched her fill in the outlines of the bird she'd started.

He stood and nodded careful not to knock into the chandelier that hung from the ceiling, it was troublesome sometimes to be so tall even for a man. "I will. I shall see you at dawn tomorrow."

As he left he heard her start humming and couldn't help the smile. He'd heard Bilbo Baggins hum the same song not too many months ago as they rode back from Erebor to Rivendell.


	12. Chapter 12

The first week of riding with Legolas had been an easy one. Legolas was quiet traveling companion but a considerate one. Someone had been thoughtful enough to pack several books in the saddlebags of Adessa's horse and a note from Arwen had implored her to read slowly or she'd have nothing to read later. The landscape had gone from the lush green and warmth of the Valley to the brisk cold and brown of the surrounding land gripped in winter. Legolas didn't push the horses too greatly, keeping them at a steady ground eating walk would keep them in better shape he'd said and they did make good time if not as fast as Adessa might hope. They'd made camp in a copse of trees one night when the moon was full and she couldn't help the urge to fly.

Moonlight danced in between the tree branches that surrounded their campsite and Adessa watched the light dance across her skin, feeling a nice warmth springing up inside her. It reminded her a lot about the first night that she had left her sanctuary and it made her feel alive. She looked over to Legolas, who was relaxing against a tree after he had tended to the horses and she giggled lightly, recalling how he had looked the first day she had seen him. "I'll be right back, don't wait up for me." She said, light laughter in her voice as she sprang up and flitted her way through the branches until she was above the trees completely. "What a view..."

Taking off, Adessa flew around the grove of trees for a moment, briefly memorizing their location from above so she would know where to come back down to and took off higher. The cool evening breeze blew past her face, she noted that it was getting colder by how it bit at her cheeks and made them burn. She felt like she was drawing power from the moon and held out her arms to it, wanting to take it all into her at once. Refreshed and feeling alive again, Adessa brushed her fingers through some clouds and laughed when she drew back to find them wet and cold. Another strong breeze blew and she shivered, wrapping her arms close to her body again and shrinking into herself.

"Okay, it's time to grab the blankets." She giggled to herself, taking one last look at the moon and then slowly spiraling back to the trees. "Legolas was right, it does feel good to travel again..." Touching back down to the thick limbs of the nearest tree, Adessa looked around and tried to find Legolas to make sure she was in the right place.

She was so intent on her search for Legolas she didn't see the dark shapes below her until the net struck her, tangling her wings and bringing her crashing to the ground. Dazed she was only barely aware that they were humans dressed in clothing designed to blend into the shadows, all tattered grays and dark blues. One of them muttered something to the other but she couldn't make it out. The second one clubbed her unceremoniously and she blacked out.

She woke with her hands and feet bound, a filthy gag in her mouth and she was in a cage that was obviously not designed to hold a human, it was too short and she lay on the rough floor curled in an uncomfortable ball smelling animal dung in the rough wood under her cheek. Blinking slowly, Adessa tried to get her bearings and moved a little, trying to test the bonds around her wrists and nearly choking on the gag in her mouth. Her breathing was laborious and no matter how she tried, she couldn't get the nasty gag out of her mouth or her breathing to slow down and even out. All she wanted to do was get back to Legolas and that would be the drive that she needed to get free, but at the moment there wasn't a way for her to do that. Instead she'd have to rely on her wits and wait for the opportune moment. Right now she had to figure out who these men were and what they wanted. Obviously they wanted something from her, otherwise she wouldn't be here, but her fear was what would they want from her.

'Who are these people?!' She asked herself, growling a little against the nasty gag again. 'I just hope Legolas can find me.'

She flinched in pain that she just realized was hurting her. There were several scratches on her sides and from what she could feel there was probably a shallow gash on the back of her head, the result of her splitting headache. She had no doubt that there would be bruises a plenty to go along with her crash from the trees and she'd be hurting for a while. With a frustrated sigh of pain, Adessa stopped moving and let her head rest against the floor of her wooden cage, waiting for something to happen.

A pair of boots moved into her field of vision and a man crouched down to look at her. "Well… I came out tonight thinking I might trap me some elves… or maybe some wolves or even a wildcat prowling the dark but I went and caught me something a bit more… exotic. What's an elf doin' with wings I wonder to myself and then I tell myself it don't really matter because the sea raiders won't care long as the wings don't impede their sport." He reached into the cage and ran a finger along the long distal ridge of her wing.

"And you are so very pretty… Might just keep you for myself I'm thinking."

If looks could kill then Adessa was glaring murder at her captor once she had recovered from the initial shock at the mention of Sea Raiders. His touch on her wings felt like sticky webs, nothing like Legolas's gentle caresses and she fluttered them enough to where she could fold them against her back and away from his filthy hands. She made a series of noises that could have been interpreted as threats, but she knew she didn't sound so convincing in her immediate predicament. As far as she could see he was the only one in the room. Looking around she found herself to be in some sort of tent with other crates and boxes with she figured could have held anything from weapons and supplies of sorts. There were other cages, most were empty, but a few others held animals, chained by iron collars to their cages. She knew how they felt and if she could then she'd get them out too.

He reached in further and checked the bindings and gave a satisfied nod. "You're a pretty one at the least. I'll have to think on what best to do. For now I've other things to attend to." He stood and picked up a tarp and covered the cage before walking away.

'And while you're away, this mouse will play...' Adessa started to think before she sighed. 'And hope that Legolas finds me soon.'

She started to rub her face on the inside of her arm and pushed outward with her tongue, not really caring for the nasty gag in her mouth at all. After several attempts and flinching from the pain, Adessa was able to push the gag out of her mouth and let it linger around her neck for now. She tried to cough as quietly as she could so the noise wouldn't bring any guards and then she shuffled her arms carefully. Tucking her knees as close as she could to her chest, Adessa bit back a groan as her muscles strained against their bonds.

'Come on! Just a little further!' She thought, giving herself a victory for the mouth gag. 'Just pull your wrists over your feet and then you can rest.' Through the mind-numbing pain and her several attempts to pull her arms from behind her back, she managed to do it and rested for a brief moment, letting her body go limp on the floor of her cage for a minute. With great effort, Adessa tried to get the thick rope untied and scuffed her fingers up pretty badly, two starting to bleed. The cords were unyielding, that was troublesome and annoying to say the least. 'If only I had a knife or something sharp... this would be so much easier.'

She heard shuffling outside the cage, then the tarp flew back and an ugly man with a crushed nose leered in at her. "Oh ho!" He gurgled. "Someone got loose. Can't be having that." He picked up a club and cackled. "Boss said to put you back to sleep so we can transport you nice and quiet like. Gotta make sure not to break that pretty head of yours though."

"Wait, please!" Adessa said hoarsely, giving him a pleading look and she held her arms up to protect her head. "What do you want?!" She was desperate and if she could barter with this man to let her free for a price then she'd pay it. Or at least get to a place where she could escape on her own from his foolish mistakes.

He chortled and stumped closer, she realized one of his legs was twisted and it gave him an odd crouched gait. "Oh what I want pretty thing is something you wouldn't give the likes of me." He said and hopped up on top of the cage. There was a small hatch at the top for safe feeding of the occupants without risking hands being bitten off, too small for anything larger than a cat to get through.

He opened it and peered down at her. "No I think you would tell me to go to Mordor before you let the likes of me have his way with a pretty thing like you." He was so intent on her that he missed the gleam of metal in the rafters above him until it was too late.

An arrow sprouted in his neck showering her with blood as he gagged and fell to the side with a faint thump. A second later Legolas dropped lightly to the top of the cage making almost no sound. He glanced around to be sure no one had noticed and then used a knife to start prying the hasp of the lock away from the wood. His face was a grim angry mask as he worked. "Legolas..." Adessa choked out quietly, relieved tears falling from her eyes and mixing the the man's blood to cause rivets down her cheeks. "How did you find me?"

She struggled even more against her bonds now that he was here. It was important that they get away as quickly and as silently as they could and once Legolas had broken through the wooden cage and opened the door, Adessa shuffled out on her hands and side, worming her way onto the floor and wheezing from exhaustion. She listened to make sure that no one was coming and thanked her lucky stars above that no one else came to check on her.

He grabbed her arm and led her through a slit in the back of the tent. Once they were out her tugged her low to the ground and led her along a path only he seemed able to see. The entire time he'd be utterly silent and his face was a stony mask of calm. They reached the horses which were both saddled with the saddlebags packed. He helped her up onto hers, then vaulted up onto his and grabbed her reins before heeling his horse into a gallop. Crouching low over her horse's neck and holding onto his mane and the reins, Adessa kept quiet and bit back every groan of pain she could. The horses carried them far away from their campsite and the men who had captured her. She wished they could have saved the other caged animals, but knew she they had to get away first and didn't stop to argue... It didn't seem wise, not with the angry mask that Legolas wore upon rescuing her. His blue eyes had lost their calm demeanor and had been replaced with a darker emotion that didn't look good on him and it scared her a little. She didn't speak for a long time and listened to the horses' hooves beating the ground. They didn't stop for nearly two hours and by that time Adessa was starting to pass in and out of consciousness from the bruises and scrapes and she could feel her horse shuddering beneath her. "Legolas... please..." She said hoarsely, trying to get his attention over the howling wind. "I need to stop. The horses need to rest..."

She clutched her horse's mane tighter and tried to keep herself steady in the saddle, if she wasn't careful she'd fall off and be too exhausted to get back up.

He slowed the pace a little and sat up straighter looking around for a safe place to camp. He eventually found a craggy overhang with a tree partially collapsed in front of the opening and helped her down. He unsaddled the horses and rubbed them down before hobbling them to the tree and only when he was sure the horses were seen to did he build a fire. She could see in the stiff set of his shoulders that he was still angry but his placid face revealed nothing.

His silence told her everything and at the moment she didn't want to break it for fear that he was angry with her and not just what happened. She avoided making any large motions that might catch his attention and pulled her knapsack slowly toward her, taking from it a bowl, a rag, some ointment, several bandages, and grabbing the waterskin from her horse's saddle bag. Pouring the water into the bowl, Adessa set about cleaning herself up a bit, wanting to get the dried blood off her face as quickly as possible. Some of the blood was her's but the rest was not and that made her squirm and feel dirty. She wrung out the rag and washed her face, applying the ointment to a few scratches here and there on her face before moving to her wrists and arms, rolling up the sleeves at show the bruises already starting to form where the men had grabbed her roughly and bound her. 'That man was right.' She thought, dabbing the rope burns on her wrists with the cold cloth. 'He got what he deserved.'

Wincing as she touched the tender flesh, Adessa continued to work until her wrists and ankles were taken care of. The last place she needed to take tend to was the dried blood on the back of her head. She still had a splitting headache and as she touched around the crusted and dried blood spot under her head she cried out softly and drew her fingers away in annoyance. "That smarts something fierce." She bit back, wringing out the rag and trying to dab at it again, a little more carefully than before but still not having much luck.

She felt the cloth being tugged out of her fingers and Legola gently began to clean the cut on her scalp. He used ointment on the cut and the pain began to receded. He silently took a look at her other scrapes and cuts then seemed to relax. "I thought the worst when you didn't return." He said softly.

Her heart pinged a little as she sat still and let him check over her other cuts and scraps. His voice had returned to being soft, but that didn't mean anything if she couldn't see his face. Slowly and carefully she turned on her legs until she could see him clearly. His face still showed her was concerned and his eyes held something else that she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"I'm sorry Legolas, I didn't mean to cause you so much worry." Adessa said, looking at him apologetically and searching his face for understanding. "I didn't realize how long I had been gone or if anyone else was around... when I fly I lose track of time because it's the most freeing feeling in the world."

She looked down at her bandaged wrists and shook her head. "I won't let this happen again."

He touched her chin and made her look up at him. "I'm not mad at you. I was furious with those beasts that walk like men. You have a right to fly free and seeing you caged like that was infuriating. I am often intemperate when I'm angry and speak too harshly. I did not wish to take my temper out on you when it was not your doing."

"I understand..." She said softly, covering his hand with her own and leaning her cheek against his palm. "I don't wish to see you that angry again, it doesn't sit well... thank you for treating my head, the pain has lessened greatly."  
He caressed her cheek for a moment before letting go and turning to the fire. He pulled out a pot and threw water and herbs into it letting it brew. When it was finished he gave her a cup of the steaming liquid. "It will hasten your healing." He said and settled back against the rocky wall of the outcropping.

"Thank you." Adessa replied, pulling a cloak from her knapsack and carefully wrapping it around her shoulders and scooting a little closer to the flames of the fire.

She warmed her hands on the cup Legolas had given her and blew on her tea before sipping it. The liquid soothed her parched throat and she welcomed the comfort that it brought. After a few moments, she looked over at Legolas and voiced a question that she had been wondering about since they had made their escape. "How did you find me?"

He smiled slightly. "When you didn't come back I went looking for you. I didn't figure you'd traveled far, you're cautious by nature. When I found a tree with broken limbs and churned bloody earth I figured something had happened. Those slavers left a trail a blind man could follow."

"Hmph." Adessa sniffed. "And they thought they'd catch some Elves the same way they caught me... not likely."

She didn't think they would be smart enough to catch Elves at all unless it was a sneak attack and even then hey would have a hard time of it for Elves weren't so easily captured. Standing up carefully, she walked to Legolas and sat down beside him, making sure her wings were folded close and not getting squished by anyone or anything, including him. "Thank you for coming after me, it seems I will be the troublesome one of the two of us on this trip, not you." She laughed softly, sipping her tea again.

He laughed with her. "If it's all the same to you I'd rather not have any further trouble."

He handed her the rolled blanket from her saddlebag and pulled his out as well. "We should sleep. We have to rise early and get back on course."

"Agreed." Adessa replied, setting down her empty cup on the by the medicines they had used and taking the blanket from him. "Good night Legolas, may you have pleasant dreams tonight."

She shuffled away from him just enough so she could lay out her blanket on the ground to keep rocks from poking into her back and side, no matter how she turned over in her sleep and folded her arm beneath her head. If she needed to wake him for whatever reason, he would be right there within arms reach and that made her feel safe. She wasn't going to stray from his side again until they got to Lothlorien and there she'd fly around as much as she wanted. Thoughts of Lothlorien filled her mind until a yawn escaped from her and the flickering firelight lulled her off to a peaceful sleep.

All too soon she was woken by Legolas who helped her into her saddle and got them back on course. The days dragged on while they traveled but the weather warmed as they traveled.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone! Just a heads up the M rating for this one is serious. Theres some sexy fun coming up so if you don't want to see that might want to skip a chapter! (Oh what am I saying...?)**

She was soon able to dispense with the cloak unless they were travelling through a village and before long they were nearing the banks of the Anduin. A large riverside village sat beside the Anduin and the ferry, which was the only way across the river was shored up on the far side. "It runs once a day." The Innkeeper said jovially. "You're too late by more than half a day for the crossing but it'll be back noonday tomorrow."

Thunder crashed overhead and the innkeeper ducked his head and gave a nervous chuckle. "Unless the storm swells the river of course. I'm afraid I've not much room right now. I've one room that you can both share if that's not too much trouble."

Legolas considered it and the innkeeper hastened to sweeten the deal. "I can let you have it for two thirds the usual rate for the inconvenience."

Legolas nodded and paid him. "Please see to the horses."

A maid led the way up the stairs goggling at Legolas and Adessa, she'd seen elves, this close to the Anduin you saw a handful a few times a year but it was always a sight to see. She ushered them into the room and Legolas gave her a silver penny before she left. He set the saddlebags down and looked around the small room. "Two thirds the usual rate... " He said skeptically.

With a soft laugh that sounded like chimes, Adessa rested a hand on his arm and looked around the room after she closed the door behind them. The room itself was a simple affair and furnished as needed. A bed sat at the far corner, a wash stand with a bowl and pitcher for water stood a pace or so away from the bed, a woven reed curtain that was sure to have a tub and water buckets behind it. Upon further inspection of the bathing area behind the reed screen, Adessa found there was a towel and she'd have to ask the maid when she came back for another towel and washing cloth. There was also a small dresser for them to put their things in if they were staying longer, but she knew they wouldn't need it.

"Look at it this way, we're not going to be uncomfortable and there is a bed so all of the needs have been met." Adessa said, nodding at their room. "It's not the royal treatment like we acquired in Rivendell, but it's not the slums either. I say we got lucky."

She put her saddlebags down by the dresser and pulled the cloak closer around her shoulders. "All we need now is an extra towel and cloth and we will be alright... I'll be right back with those."

Legolas nodded absently and sat down on the chair tiredly. When she closed the door behind her she saw him pulling out a writing case and setting ink and paper on the table. She could hear music and laughter from the common room only a little muted by the rain that drummed on the roof. Being careful to keep her cloak about her shoulders, but also walking with her shoulders squared and her stride at a set pace, Adessa made sure that she didn't appear to be timid and weak. She didn't have to search long and found a server coming out of the common room with a food tray and stopped him very briefly. Exchanging a few quick words with him, she requested politely that a tray of fruit, bread and cheese be brought to her's and Legolas's room along with a fresh pot of tea and the fixings. The server bowed politely to her and moved off to finish his task before fulfilling her request with the help of another server. She found the Innkeeper at the door and asked for an extra towel and cloth, which he retrieved for her and handed to her.

"Thank you very much, good evening." She replied, giving him a respectable nod and turning on her hell to head back up the stairs.

She returned to their room and shut the door behind her, giving Legolas a smile as she passed him and placed the towel on the spare stool behind the screen. Adessa went to her saddlebags and pulled some spare night clothes from them and undergarments, tucking them neatly together before vanishing behind the screen and lighting a few candles on the shelf there to give her some light. After making sure she was hidden from view, not that she thought Legolas would be so bold as to peek, Adessa undressed and slipped into the tub, bringing the clean water and soap with her.

"Oh, I asked for some food and tea to be brought up, they should be here in a few minutes." She called out from behind the screen, her silhouette outlining her form with the help of the candle light.

As if to punctuate her words a knock on the door announced the servant with the food. Legolas set it on the table and went back to his writing. A clap of thunder made the window panes rattle and the rain beat at the windows so hard it sounded like gravel sliding down the glass. "Somehow I think we'll be here a few days." Legolas said with a sigh.

Listening to the rain clatter on the roof and on the window panes, Adessa nodded from behind the reed screen and gave a soft sigh, wondering if the weather around this part of Middle Earth was usually like this. She didn't dwell on it long and finished washing her body, being careful to get all of her body. She paused her washing to gaze down at her wrists and ankles where her corded bonds had held her firm. Wings drooping a bit, she gave herself a little shake to snap her out of her thoughts and turned to leave the tub for her towel and clothes. She finished drying and hung the towel up to dry before pulling on her undergarments and straightening her nightgown over her head.

"I'll take care of the old water before you bathe, but the bath is ready for you unless you want to eat first." She said quietly, tucking her clothes into her saddlebag.

He packed away his writing case and started setting out the food. "I'll eat first." He replied and motioned for her to sit across from him.

When they'd finished the meal he ran a fresh bath for himself and disappeared behind the screen to bathe. She'd settled into the chair to read when someone knocked on the door. Cautiously, Adessa rose from her chair and pulled on her cloak before placing her hands on the door and speaking loudly, not unlocking it and speaking clearly from her side of the thick wood. "Who is it?" She asked clearly. 'I'm not opening this door without knowing who could be on the other side.' There wasn't going to be any unnecessary safety measures on her end this time.

"Just the Innkeeper Mistress." The hearty voice of the innkeeper replied through the door.

Looking back at Legolas to see him safe behind the reed screen, Adessa pulled back on the deadbolt and pulled the door open just wide enough to put herself between him and their room. "Good evening again sir, what may I do for you?" She asked politely, giving him a small smile.

He gave her a kind smile. "I just wanted to let you and the Master know that there will be no ferry on the morrow, The river has swollen too much for it to be safe and the rain does not appear to be slowing."

Adessa nodded, asked to bee informed the next day it would run, and thanked him, letting him know that she'd tell her companion and shut the door behind her. Locking it up again, Adessa sighed and turned to the window with a shake of her head. Plumping up the pillows on the bed, Adessa lounged on top of the covers and began reading one of the books Arwen packed for her, being eternally grateful that she had.

When Legolas came out dressed in loose trousers and a shirt that hung open he was rubbing his hair dry with a towel. "I believe there is a shop in this town that has books if you run through those while we're here."

"Hopefully I won't need to, but you never know. I'm so fascinated with learning about everything that I just might need some new reading material." She said, looking up at him, noting his sleek chest and feeling the heat return to her cheeks before looking back down at her book and trying to concentrate on the words again. "I have to keep in mind that if we buy or trade anything then we have to bring it with us and if speed with what we need, I don't wish to burden the horses with anymore weight."

With a quiet cough, she took a breath and let it out, letting her blush leave her cheeks too. 'Gah, why does he affect me so?!' She asked herself, pushing some hair out of her face. 'No one has ever affected me like this before.'

He draped the towel on a rack before the fire and rummaged through her bag until he found a book before sitting down before the fire stretching out his long legs. "Arwen has interesting taste in reading material." He commented. "She's included a book of childrens stories."

He opened the book and settled in to read while the rain pounded on the roof. She found herself fascinated by him as he read and got very little reading of her own done. After an hour or so he started to nod off, they'd been riding hard the last few days. With a yawn he closed the book and pulled out his bedroll making a pallet on the floor before the fire. It didn't take long before she drifted off as well.

The rain had not abated by the following morning and a maid brought up a simple breakfast for them. After a while Legolas brought out a folded leather cloth with lines painted in a crosshatch and two small bags of stones and taught her to play the game. It was a quiet morning but after a time they found themselves sitting by the fire reading again. She dozed off leaning against him and woke with his arms curled around her as they lay on his pallet by the fire. He was running his finger through her hair while she dozed and she was aware of the shirt that was only half laced covering his chest. Adessa mumbled quietly in her sleep and rolled closer to the warmth of his body, nearly pressing herself against him, her face almost vanishing in his half laced shirt and the pillow upon which her head was laying on. She sighed contently, hand resting on his chest and his natural scent filling her nose. This was safety to her, completely safe and the perfect place she wanted to be in. The stroking of her hair continued and she made no move to stop it, loving how smoothly his fingers brushed over her head, passing over her pointed ear, and savored every minute of it.

"I could let you do that for hours." She said after a time, slowly opening her hazel eyes and turning slightly to look at him.

He looked down at her with pale blue eyes that seemed to know things about her that she didn't rightly know about herself. He ran a finger over the point of her ear which sent thrills of sensation through her. When he did it again she felt something curl low in her belly and her breath caught. His smile grew a little and he rolled her onto her back holding himself on his elbows above her as his hair hung down to create a pale golden curtain. His hands to either side of her face cupped her cheeks gently as he leaned down pressing the softest of kisses to her lips and she just about came unglued. She could feel the strength it took to hold himself above her but he did it effortlessly lowering himself just a fraction so he could kiss her more firmly. Adessa's heart melted completely while they kissed. His lips were petal soft, better than she had imagined, and smooth, there was no effort on his part to make their kiss unforgettable and she relished it. Legolas was strong but his touch was so gentle, as if he was handling a newborn babe for the first time. She could feel the heat in her cheeks rising again when images from the dreams she had had of him flew past her closed eyes, but they melted away. He was here with her now, she didn't need them anymore because she was living them. Adessa cupped his cheek and drew him deeper into their kiss, adding passion and leaning up a little more to meet him. Warmth radiated from both their bodies and Adesa could feel just how lean and muscular Legolas really was. He was sculpted throughout his chest, arms perfectly riddled with strands of muscle and a strong back. She loved it, everything about him. His hair continued to tickle her face and she drew back for air and ran her fingers through his pale blonde and golden hair.

"Why do you tease me?" She asked breathlessly, trailing her fingers through his hair till they touched his ear. "That wasn't nice Legolas."

She had to give him a smirk, letting him know that her feeling weren't really hurt and kissed him again, leaving a butterfly kiss on his smooth lips. He smiled and leaned a little more of his body against her showing her that it was as teasing to him as well as to her. "I can show you 'not nice' Adessa. The thoughts you've been stirring in my mind awake and asleep have been full of things that would not be considered nice." His lips found her neck as he slowly lowered himself to press from chest to groin against her and she could feel the heat of those 'not nice' thoughts pressing against her through the thin material of her nightgown.

Weeks of distance, of behaving like a lady, of not giving into the temptation to touch him ran through her in a single shuddering line along with the thought that she'd never hesitated to go after what she wanted before, why was she hesitating now? She wasn't sure where that thought came from but she agreed with the little voice in her head that told her to just go for it.

Without so much as a second thought to why, Adessa's body seemed to act on it's own and conformed to push out any bit of free space between them so she could feel the rest of him against her. He was so warm and that heat transferred to her, fueling her own rising flames. She shuddered against his kisses, her toes curling and fingers digging into the pallet beneath her. His breath was warm on her skin and tickled her with the sharp contrast to the warm fire before them and the cooling aftermath of his breath. Running her hand through his hair, Adessa brought him back up her her awaiting lips and kissed him hungrily, her hand resting firmly on his arm to keep him from wandering away from her.

"What are these thoughts that you say you have of me...?" She asked, breathing rapidly and stroking his cheek with her thumb. "Tell me Legolas... tell me everything that you desire."

She went for his throat, brushing her lips tenderly over his flesh and leaving more butterfly kisses wherever she could reach bare skin. His shoulder and collarbone were her next targets and these she gently nibbled on before kissing him again. He groaned and ran one hand up her side his fingers stroking against the side of her breast before his hand cupped her breast and his thumb teased the nipple. "You." He said hoarsely. "I desire you, under me wet and needy. I want you so bad I ache. You have been haunting my dreams, the sight of you flying in the moonlight in naught but your skin. I know I shouldn't but I cannot resist the pull of your skin to mine." He kissed her fiercely while his hand roamed her body.

A deepening blush appeared on Adessa's cheeks as Legolas's hands expertly massaged her sensitive skin and her breathing came in quick bursts so she wouldn't cry out, not that there was much of a chance to do that before his lips locked with her's in an overwhelming passion. She could already feel herself aching for him, her need growing with every kiss they shared. Clasping at the hem of his night shirt, Adessa gave it a quick tug and pulled it over his head, tossing it aside without so much as a glance to where it fell. She wanted to feel his warm chest and proceeded to run her cool fingers over his bare skin. Wrapping her arms around his frame, Adessa held him close and kissed him with such passion as she thought she'd never felt before.

"If you want it of me, I will give you everything..." She breathed, looking into his blue eyes and smiling. "All that I have... all that I am... and all I will ever be will be yours..."

Neither of them knew whether the thunderclap that shook the inn was as a result of the vow or just nature being loud and capricious but in an instant all they could focus on was the Need. Clothing vanished in a frenzy and Legolas was lifting her off the floor and onto the bed his skin a pale honey gold that shone in the firelight. His eyes blazed blue, more blue than she'd ever seen them before and she could almost feel her own skin and eyes and even her wings giving off their own luminescence as he lay her on the soft mattress and kissed his way down her naked body panting with need and the effort to not just simply take her then.

Adessa's hands busied themselves with his smooth skin and draw him back up to her lips so she could pour all her love and sweet passion into their kiss. She locked her legs around his waist and with a little more effort that she had first thought necessary, she pushed him over until she was sitting on top of him. Doing this without breaking their kiss, Adessa's black hair swept over her shoulder and fell to the side, making her giggle a little while both her hands ran over Legolas's chest and the other stroked his cheek. She felt herself becoming wet with every passing kiss and moaned quietly as she breathed in his sweet, wild scent and let it fill her nose. Laying down on top of Legolas completely, Adessa slowly teased him, brushing her hand over his inner thigh until she found what she desired. Gently taking him into her hand, she rubbed on his shaft until he was aroused and poised over him, looking deep into his beautiful eyes and blinking slowly at him.

"I am happiest... with you." She whispered, smiling happily and taking him within her warmth.

"I am most complete with you." He breathed and gripped her hips lifting her up a little so he could rub the head of his shaft against her opening which made them both groan in pleasure.

He leaned up a little to kiss her deep and full while he pressed upward slowly inch by inch sliding himself inside her until they were locked together as united as any could be. Slowly the pain Adessa felt inside her gave way to sensations of pure delight and the winces of pain left her face. She returned Legolas's kisses and ran her fingers through his hair while she rocked back and forth against his skin, loving the feel of their soft flesh together at last. Legolas had been right, she yearned for nothing more than him and now she didn't need anything else. Her wings stood up straight behind her, fluttering open and closed with each push and pull of their bodies together, sometimes slowly at first and then other time enough to the point she thought she might hover over him completely. She continued like this for a while before a moan escaped her parted lips and she came to rest against her lover's chest, gasping for air.

He rolled her underneath him being careful not to damage her wings and rocked in and out of her until she thought the world would shatter around them. He seemed to feel the same because his breathing grew ragged and he gasped "I won't last. Join me. Adessa!" She felt him go inside her and it brought her own orgasm like a flood of pleasure and sensation.

"Legolas!" She breathed, clutching his arms.

When they were through she was panting for air and sweat had perspired on her forehead and over most of her body. She didn't want to move other than to stay close to Legolas and in doing so she wrapped her arms around him to keep him there with her. As her breathing became more even, Adessa traced her fingers over his back, arms, and sides, kissing him every so often when the need to feel his lips again was too great to resist.

They dozed off curled around each other only to wake hungry for one another again. They passed the day that way alternately making love then napping.


	14. Chapter 14

Adessa woke at dawn with pale winter sunlight bathing the bed and a pleasant soreness making every muscle ache. Blinking slowly from the soft light that peeked into there room from between the curtains, Adessa slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position, her muscles screaming in protest at the movements. The covers she held close to her chest with one hand and the other pushed hair out from her face. Looking to her right and the sleeping Legolas beside her, she couldn't help but sigh and admire how peaceful and at ease he was. He had not one care in the world right now and this made her happy. Adessa's wings fluttered a bit and she yawned quietly, not wishing to disturb Legolas's sleep. "I need a bath..." She muttered to herself, looking again at the window and the sunlight. "The ferry is probably going to be leaving today and we need to be ready for it."

Letting the covers fall back onto the bed where Legolas lay, Adessa's feet barely made a sound when she walked to the woven reed screen and draw herself a warm bath. She dipped a cloth into the steaming water she sat in and ran it over her shoulders, arms, torso and legs. Her back was a bit tricky since she had to be careful of her wings, but that was easily overcome. Once she was finished with her body and her hair, she stepped from the tub and grabbed her towel to dry off. Looking around for clothes, Adessa kicked herself for not grabbing some from her saddle bags before drawing her bath and wrapped the towel around her before moving to them and digging through for the proper clothes, warm and durable for travel if they were to leave that day. Tying the sash around her waist and lacing up her boots, Adessa walked back to the bed and she traced Legolas's high cheekbone with a gentle finger and brushed some hair from his face.

"My love... it is morning and the sun is shining." She cooed softly to him, leaning down and kissing him lips.

He opened blue eyes the color of spring skies and smiled pulling her down for a more thorough kiss. "She is indeed." He murmured.

Giving into his soft lips, Adessa returned his kiss and pulled back before they could get too carried away. "What I mean is the ferry might be running today." She responded quickly, placing a finger over his lips and giving him a direct look. "We still have a ways to go to Lothlorien and I don't know how long this lucky break in the weather will last."

She kissed him one last time before straightening again and going to fold her night attire up to pack it away again. "We should see about the ferry and get the horses ready for travel if it's running today."

He sat up and watched her with a smile before getting up and heading into the bathroom himself to clean up. While he was in there a maid brought breakfast and informed Adessa that the Ferry would be traveling at noon and they might want to resupply before getting on the ferry. Thanking her graciously, Adessa took the tray of food and brought it back into the room and closed the door behind her. Setting down the tray on the small table she poured tea for herself and Legolas and picked at her food with a satisfied smile. She spoke softly to Legolas about what supplies they may require and went through the saddlebags to see what items they had left over.

"If we get a few more things for ourselves like some bread and dried fruit and perhaps a few handfuls of grain for the horses then I think we'll be fine." Adessa mused quietly, tapping her chin with a thoughtful expression on her face. "I'd like to check their shoes to make sure they're fine too... the last thing we need is a lame horse, on this journey and that's the last thing I want."

He came out of the bath area securing the laces on his shirt and gave her a quick kiss before picking up a pastry and sitting down to put on his boots. "I will leave the provisioning to you while I see to the horses." He handed her a small pouch of silver coins before he stood up pastry in hand and left with a light step even for an elf.

Adessa sighed with the utmost content and smiled. She had the most amazing lover, whom she never thought would go for someone like her and he made her feel like the most important thing in his world. Finishing her food quickly, Adessa pulled on her own boots with a smile and laced them up. She grabbed her gray cloak and tied it loosely about her shoulders after folding her wings and tucking them close to her back. Oh how she wanted to fly again, but since that night she got captured by the filthy slavers she seldom flew when they camped now. Absently she ran her fingers over her wrists and shook her head to block the images and memories from her mind. Taking up the small pouch of coins that Legolas had given her, Adessa securely tied it around her neck and tucked it into the front of her shirt for safety. She also grabbed an empty saddlebag so she could carry anything she brought back with her to the inn. "I should make this little shopping trip quickly and then come back to make sure we have everything." She mused to herself, stepping out from the inn and browsing up the main roads.

The Town itself wasn't big and the streets were fairly easy to navigate so it didn't take Adessa long to find the things she was looking for. There was a stall selling a variety of dried fruits and she looked them over with a keen eye before selecting a small handful and getting them wrapped up in clean bags before handing over the correct coins. That was another thing she had studied while in Rivendell, currency. Her last stop was to a feed shop where she briefly conversed with the shopkeeper before agreeing to get a pound of grain for her's and Legolas's horses. He asked if she wanted someone to carry the bag for her but she politely refused and paid him, accepting the bag and throwing her saddlebag of dried fruit over her grain with a smile. On her way back to the inn, she looked up and noted that the sky promised good weather for a time and hurried back to the inn, scraping off mud from her boots to the best of her abilities before going up to their room and entering.

"Now to make sure everything is packed... I do hope there's nothing wrong with the horses." She said, pulling things out onto the bed to make sure she packed everything.

By the time she had everything repacked and had made sure there were no personal items left in odd corners Legolas had come back and was hefting up the saddlebags. "You were right. The horses needed new shoes." He commented as they walked down the stairs.

Adessa shifted her packs in her arms and nodded.

"If we take care of our horses they will in turn take care of us." She replied, following him and smiling politely to the innkeeper as they approached him to conduct their final transactions and thank him for his hospitality. "How soon did the horse farrier say he could have the horses shoed again?"

"They are shod and waiting for us on the ferry which leave in a little under an hour." He replied as the stopped in the common room and caught the Innkeepers attention.

The Innkeeper hustled over and smiled ingratiatingly at them. "I trust you had a pleasant stay Master, Mistress?"

"Yes, thank you for being most accommodating to us Sir." Adessa answered, giving him a kind smile. "May fortune favor you and your house."

She shifted her bundles again and nodded, ready to be off for the ferry and their horses. It wasn't out of anxiety that she wanted to leave the town due to unfavorable suspicions but more so of the want to take up their travels again. Adessa loved traveling with Legolas and of course there was her need to get to Lothlorien with all haste to recover that which she had lost, her memories. "Perhaps we will be coming back to stop here again on our return trip, if all goes well."

The Innkeeper smiled and bowed and then was called away. Legolas led her out of the inn and to the river dock where a long low wide boat was moored. There were maybe a dozen horses and just as many people boarding. "I've already paid the fee." He told her and led her to the horses so they could secure the saddlebags. Several people eyed them both curiously but it was a tiny girl of maybe three or four who approached Adessa and tugged on her cloak. "Are you elves?" She asked her tongue tripping up over the syllables.

Adessa immediately looked down when she felt her cloak being tugged and smiled and the adorable child. Instantly a smile bloomed on her lips and she knelt down until she was slightly above eye level with her. She tucked some of her brown hair behind her ear and nodded. "My traveling companion is an Elf and I may look like one, but I am a little bit different, though I look like one too." Adessa answered quietly, pulling open her cloak just enough so a portion of her wing could flutter softly and could be seen by the child. "I am a Feary... but that's a secret between me and you, cutie." Adessa gave her a wink and another smile.

The child looked awestruck and nodded before rushing back to her mother who didn't look too please with the child. The Ferry lurched and they were on their way across. It was a relatively short trip and within an hour they were on the far side of the Anduin and mounting their horses. Checking her horse's girth strap and finding that it was perfect, Adessa gathered her reins, put her left foot in the stirrup and swung her leg over the horse's rump, sitting gently in the saddle. She patted the horse's neck and let her rein slack a little in her hands until they were ready to go. The landscape before them caught her attention and a satisfying sigh escaped from her lips. It was all beautiful and didn't look like the road was going to be too bad. Making a clicking noise with her mouth, Adessa tapped her heels to her horse's sides and moved him closer to Legolas and his horse. She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss before righting herself in the saddle again and moving off.

"The wind in your hair and the winding road ahead Legolas!" She called, looking back over her shoulder at him. "What more could you possibly want?!" With a smile growing ever more clear on her lips, she squeezed her heels to her horse's sides again and Summer Breeze took off and a leisurely canter, making Adessa whoop happily. The wind picked up her hair and flung it back behind her. She relished this feeling of freedom forever.


	15. Chapter 15

The weather held and even warmed as they traveled. Adessa and Legolas fell into an easy companionship during the day and long cool nights spent lying in each others arms, it was almost enough to keep the dreams at bay. Almost. She still woke from dreams of strange places with metal boxes that people rode in, black roads and strange music that grated on her ears even as she realized she knew the melodies and dreams of people dressed in strange attire. Sometimes the dreams were enough to keep her awake and it was after one such night that she found herself desperate to fly.

Gazing up at the fluffy clouds above them, Adessa looked to Legolas and then down at her hands again, her body swaying with the motion of her horse as he walked. She shook her head, walked her horse closer to his and rested her hand on his arm to get his attention. "Legolas... I need to stretch my wings a little..."

She was a little hesitant because of what happened last time, but perhaps this time would be different. He looked around at the expanse of hills with no trees to hide slavers and nodded. "Just be careful." He admonished.

"I promise." Adessa replied, handing off her reins to him and kissing his cheek quickly with a smile.

Looking over her shoulder at her wings, she gave them a few experimental flaps before taking off with enough force to kick up some dust around her horse. Her arms were thrown out to her sides as she flew upwards into the clouds and began to dive and weave at different intervals to keep things interesting. Adessa never lost sight of Legolas below her on the grounds and from above him she could see for miles around. The wind blew in her face and after some time of being out of the saddle, Adessa came back down and flew a few circles around Legolas with a devious smirk playing on her lips.

"Perhaps tonight I'll have to fly around for you in nothing but my skin..." She giggled quietly and out stretched her hands to cup his face and kissed his soft lips ever so gently.

He chuckled and kissed her back. "I would enjoy that. Could you fly ahead a little and see what the road looks like?"

"As you command my Lord." Adessa replied, sweeping one arm out to her left while her right hand touched her heart and she bowed. "It shall be done."

Beating her wings gently, Adessa ascended to the skies once more and flew off in the direction they were originally headed in. After a short time she saw two figures on horseback coming from the opposite path from herself and Legolas. It would be a matter of several minutes time before they would cross paths, but could she really allow that to happen before she had a chance to warn Legolas of their approach? Adessa swayed back and forth in deliberation before making up her mind and shaking her head.

'I need to warn Legolas and get my cloak... It would only be suspicious if they should meet and one saddled horse be missing its rider.' She thought to herself and flew as fast as she could back to Legolas, breathing hard from all the flying. "Two riders are coming this way... Won't be long until we come up on them."

Gently dropping herself into her saddle again, Adessa quickly pulled her cloak out and draped it around her shoulders, tying the string tightly and making sure her wings were covered.

He stopped the horses and thought about it for a moment. If they are simply travelers then all should be fine. Let's behave as if that is all they are and see what happens."

Adessa nodded in agreement and started to shake a bit. She was sure they hadn't seen her, but pulled the hood of her cloak up to hide her face. "I don't suppose we could just give them a wide berth and let them pass..." She wondered out loud, taking a deep breath to quiet her nervousness. "I have a funny feeling and I don't know if it's a good one or if something bodes ill for us." She gave Legolas a concerned look.

He shook his head. "If they are close as you say we wouldn't be able to get far enough away from the road not to be seen and that would draw as much attention. Best to just let them pass us by."

As if to prove his words the pair of travelers Adessa had seen came into view. Legolas narrowed his eyes then broke into a bright smile as the man in the gray cloak came forward at a brisk pace. "Gandalf! What are you doing here?" He asked nudging his horse forward to meet the old man who laughed in a booming hearty voice.

"Legolas! Bless me I hadn't thought to see you again so soon." He clapped Legolas on the shoulder and chuckled. "I am on my way to Rivendell."

The rider with him rode forward enough for Adessa to see it was a woman though she was dressed in mens clothing. She approached Adessa shaking her head at the antics of the Elf and the older man then stopped and leaned forward. "No… It couldn't be…" She said softly though Adessa caught every word.

She moved her horse right up to Adessa's side before Adessa could stop her and flipped back the hood and gave a triumphant whoop. "It is you! Tracey! You're alive, Smiley face." She laughed then froze as Legolas pressed an arrow to the side of her neck.

Taken completely by surprise at the old man's traveling companion's quick motions, Adessa jerked back on the reins back a little more aggressively than she should have and caused her horse to rear back and paw at the space before him. Her breath caught in her throat as her hood fell back and she moved her horse back to put some space between them. She couldn't help but gaze at this woman in confusion and shake her head.

"What did you think you were doing?! Who are you!?" She demanded, not liking how forward she was being and then looked to Legolas and his arrow, she hadn't seen him draw it because everything happened so fast.

Gandalf was watching the whole exchange with something like amusement as the woman used two fingers to push the arrow head away from her neck. When Legolas tried to move it back she snapped her fingers and the bow seemed to freeze in place no matter how hard Legolas tried to move it. She pushed her hood back and Adessa saw the face of the dark haired woman from her dreams. It was exactly as it was in the dreams from the dark red hair to the large dark eyes in a strong face with high cheekbones and a mouth that quirked like she was trying not to smile. When she looked back at Adessa the eyes held such a force of personality it was hard to look away from them. "Tracey, come on you know that line. For that matter you know me and what's with the dress? You never wear dresses."

Adessa shook her head and glared hard at the woman before her. Familiar or not, she didn't like how they were being treated . "I don't know who you are or who this Tracey person might be... I think I would if everything I knew, all my memories weren't missing." She growled pointedly. "Now release Legolas from whatever spell you've used and explain yourself."

The woman glanced over at him and shook her head. "Nope. I think if I let him go before we finish our chat he might very well try to take my head off and I like it where it is…" She looked at Adessa and pursed her lips. "Hmmm… Amnesia then. Well fuck. That changes things doesn't it."

Gandalf rode a little closer and peered at Adessa. "This is the friend you've been looking for Artemis? You could have told me she was a Faery."

Artemis snorted and shook her head. "Don't be daft Gandalf, she's not a fairy, if anything with those ears she's been turned into an elf… again."

Gandalf waggled his fingers and Adessa's cloak fell away revealing her wings and Artemis goggled. "Well fuck! She is a faery. I didn't think those existed in this world."

Adessa quickly snatched up her cloak before it fell off her horse and flicked her wings, bringing them up behind her and fluttering them open and closed before letting them drape behind her back again. Not liking to have her request refused, Adessa pushed her horse closer to Legolas and touched his arm, wondering if there was anything she could do to help him. "Please release him." She insisted, looking at the woman whom Gandalf had called Artemis. "Legolas was only protecting me."

"And he will protect you until I'm dead." Artemis replied and looked at Legolas who looked furious unable to let go of the bow or even move.

Adessa was suddenly sure Artemis was correct, he would try to kill Artemis if he could. Artemis shook her head and sighed then looked to Gandalf. "I thought he was calmer than this."

Gandalf frowned and looked between Adessa and Legolas. "He usually is but I have a hunch. Legolas, if I'm right blink your eyes. You are Bonded to this female aren't you?"

Legolas blinked and Gandalf sighed. "I thought so. A Bonded elven couple are life mates. And for the first few weeks to a month the male half becomes aggressive and territorial. It wears off but the Bond is permanent."

Artemis sighed and looked at Adessa. "Just had to have your elf huh Tracey." She smiled gently and ran a hand through her hair.

"Why do you keep calling me that person's name?" She groaned, shaking her head and not knowing what she could do to unfreeze Legolas so she looked at Artemis in despair. "Adessa is the name I have chosen to be called until I can regain my memories."

She gave his arm a gentle squeeze and almost wanted to tear this woman's hair out. "I'm sorry Legolas." Adessa said softly.

Artemis dismounted and walked over to Legolas, standing beside him she was smaller than he was but she moved as though she were invulnerable. She looked up at him and sighed. "If I let you go do you swear to do me no harm? Understanding now that you are under the influence of the Bonding and that I would no sooner harm her than myself? Blink once if you agree and know that I can freeze you again if you lie to me."

He seemed to consider it for a long time before he finally blinked and Artemis snapped her fingers again releasing him, she looked at Adessa. "I call you Tracey because that is who you are. You've always been Tracey, my goofy, funny, sweet partner who makes funny faces and noises to get me to laugh when I'm being too serious, who forgets to eat because she's too busy crafting and loves cheese and mayonnaise. And a million other things. Adessa is a name I made up for a story we wrote that Tracey loved and somewhere in all the magic you remembered it."

While she described Tracey to Adessa Adessa tried remember but there was nothing there, She didn't remember this woman and she didn't really like her much either. She shook her head and apologized, but she was glad to have Legolas back to normal again.

"I'm sorry, but it's still confusing and I can't remember anything." Adessa said, considering Artemis's face and then nodding. "I have seen your face before though, in many of my dreams and nightmares..."

Artemis gave a wry smile. "Seems about right. We've been through enough to give anyone nightmares."

She looked at Legolas who had put away his bow and was moving to stand by Adessa. "I'd say no hard feelings but I know Elves have long memories and a tendency to hold grudges."

He glared at her and put an arm around Adessa's waist. "If you harm her I will put an end to you, magic or no."

Gandalf harrumphed and Artemis looked at him; he raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat. "This is all very fascinating but now we've found her and she doesn't remember you. What will you do now?"

Artemis looked at Adessa. "I thought I'd find you in Rivendell, where are you headed now?"

Adessa wrapped her own arm around Legolas as best she could from their sitting position in their saddles and looked at him, a feeling of pride swelling inside her from his words. She knew he'd do everything in his power to keep her safe, this incident just enforced what she already knew to be true. She looked back at Artemis and Gandalf and sighed.

"We have already spent time in Rivendell trying to find a solution to my memory loss, but instead we have received an invitation to see Lady Galadriel in Lothlorien..." Adessa answered, fluttering her wings a bit and pulling the cloak back on and tying the cords in place. "Perhaps I might find the answers I need there."

Artemis looked at Gandalf and he gave a wry smile of his own. "Looks like I'm bound to go back to Lothlorien and you'll have to come with me then."

Artemis laughed and scrubbed her face with her hands. "Gods above if you'd told me six months ago I'd be doing this I'd have told you to up your medication."

She remounted her horse and settled her cloak around her shoulders. "Well whoever is the duly appointed leader of this madhouse lead the way."

Legolas opened his mouth to object but Gandalf shook his head. "We're all bound up in this lad. Best just accept it with grace."

Adessa patted his hand and then turned her horse in the right direction. She didn't want to argue anymore and the sooner they got underway again the sooner they would get to Lothlorien and she could get her memories back. The Bond in which Gandalf spoke of interested her a lot and she voice a few quiet questions to Legolas about it, hoping that he would tell her more.

"I know we will be together forever, but do we share a special link now? Can I sense if you're in trouble somewhere far from me?" She asked quietly, glancing back at Gandalf and Artemis, who rode behind them about a pace or two.

He shook his head. "Not in that way. If I am hurt you will sense it, and you will sense if I die. We share a link of the soul, if we are apart for very long it will make us heart sick and some elves with very deep Bondings have withered from the lack of their partner but it is rare to have a Bonding so deep."

"Then I pray that we are never that far apart from each other and if it were to be so than may we have the strength to pass through time itself until we find each other again." Adessa answered, gazing into his beautiful blue eyes. "I will love you forever."

He cupped her cheek. "I will love you forever." He repeated.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey everyone! I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has been following the adventures. It has been so much fun writing these and sharing them with you. Things are going to start moving a little faster for our heroes in the next few chapters. I have tried very hard to write each story in the same style as the original so please bear with me! As always reviews are appreciated!**

From her place several feet behind them Artemis watched and asked her own questions. "So Gandalf, is there a way to break the Bonding?"

He frowned. "Why would you want to?"

Artemis gave him a hard look and he sighed. "You can but it usually kills one or both."

She sighed. "Ok… so what happens when we get sent on to the next world that needs fixing? Does the bond travel between worlds, will it break when we leave or am I gonna have a heartbroken magically traumatized woman on my hands?"

He pulled his pipe out and packed it with pipe weed. "I don't rightly know. It's not a situation I've ever encountered before. We can always ask Galadriel."

Artemis nodded and turned her attention back to Tracey… Adessa, she had to remind herself. At this moment Tracey was the figment and Adessa was real. "Oh shit… how much of Tracey is in there right now? How much of Adessa is going to stick around if she gets her memories back?" She was talking to herself and Gandalf let her keep it up, he always learned something fascinating when she rambled.

"Shit… What happens when… if... she gets her memories back and she's not Adessa anymore, like at all. Legolas fell in love with Adessa, Bonded with Adessa, if there's no Adessa left in Tracey after the Amnesia is gone then he'll be stuck, bonded to a woman he doesn't love…"

"You aren't worried about her not loving him?" Gandalf asked.

Artemis laughed and it made Adessa and Legolas look back at them. "Tracey has loved Legolas for years in our world. This is a dream come true for her." She sobered. "I need to find out how much of Tracey is present in this new person."

Gandalf tried not to smile. "You should have been the advisor to a Great King of Men instead of a traveling saleswoman." He remarked, she'd shared some of her history with him while they traveled. "You have a keen mind and a dangerous one."

"Awww, thank you." She grinned at him and nudged her horse forward to ride beside Adessa.

"So… Adessa…" She sounded like she was reminding herself not to call the woman Tracey. "What have you remembered?"

Adessa gave Artemis a sideways glance and then looked her in the eye, still a little irritated with her for what she did to Legolas. But taking a deep breath, she pulled what little she could remember together and then spoke quietly.

"I don't remember much. There have only been a few instances where actions done by others, including myself, have brought about small portions of memory." She answered before taking a breath and looking thoughtfully to Legolas with a smile. "My recent memories and nightmares have brought back your face, but you seemed darker and fighting an entity of great evil. It wasn't a pleasant thought when you spoke sweet lies and laughed most cruelly."

She gave a shudder despite the warm weather and shook her head, not really wanting to talk about it,but knowing that she should because she needed to understand what she was missing. These recollections shouldn't end on a sour note so Adessa continued.

"Other times you would be singing, we would be laughing too... That's all I really remember, not much else." She sighed and looked at Artemis again, wiggling her ears. "You should know that you breathe so loudly we could have found you in the dark... so imagine your conversation to yourself behind us. Our ears don't miss much." She smirked and pointed to her ears as they wiggled again.

Artemis laughed her head falling back, it surprised Adessa since she had taken Artemis for a woman who wouldn't like having such things pointed out. Artemis's face was alight with the humor and her dark eyes sparkled but it didn't last very long, a small smile played at the corners of her mouth when she spoke again. "If I had wanted to keep the conversation private I'd have let you two get much further ahead. Even before you got pointy ears you could hear a coin drop from 100 paces through a crowd. Although you usually have the good manners to keep anything you overhear to yourself." She glanced over at Legolas who was ignoring her.

"I'm not sure how to explain the snippets you've seen in a way that you could understand without your memories. I'm not trying to be condescending," She held up a hand to forestall any protests. "If all you remember is this world then you're not going to be able to grasp concepts like a television or time travel. It's probably better if we just get to Galadriel quickly and see if she can restore your memory…" She looked at Legolas and Adessa who were holding hands as they rode. "Or if you even want to."

Adessa heard her but didn't want to respond right away, how could she? She squeezed Legolas's hand gently, it was mostly to comfort her, but as she looked at their road ahead she was starting to feel uncertain about getting to their destination. Having him there calmed her a little and she tried not to let anything else bother her while they rode, but she wasn't really successful. New questions bloomed through her thoughts now, as much as she would like to keep them at bay. What if everything this woman was saying was true? What if their shared Bond was broken when she regained her memories? But if she really was this Tracey person Artemis kept talking about would the Bond really change at all? She didn't see how if it could be true and her fears only grew a little more with every stride their horses took.

''Whatever happens in Lothlorien... choices are going to be made and it is going to hurt someone badly.' Adessa thought, letting out a deep sigh. 'What am I going to do? What will Legolas do? Would it kill him... me... or both of us?' She couldn't help but let out another quiet sigh and hope for the best.

Legolas squeezed her hand trying to comfort her then looked at Artemis his eyes blue steel and Artemis lifted her chin her own eyes firm and Adessa had the feeling she'd seen that before. "Even without her memories she cannot be so different from this Tracey you speak of."

Artemis snorted and shook her head. "This," She motioned at Adessa. "Is worlds different from Tracey. I don't know Adessa so I can't really speak to her personality but Tracey hates dresses, she's outspoken, sarcastic and take charge. She's a forceful personality not this demure quiet woman."

She looked at Adessa. "You're sweet but you have to remember, I'm used to Tracey. You're not her and if she does reemerge;" She paused and looked at Legolas to emphasize her next point. "She's going to be a completely different person, and you might find that you miss Adessa more than you like Tracey."

Adessa's facial features started to contort from worry to fear at the words Artemis spoke and she looked at Legolas, trying to study his expression. Summer Breeze picked up on his rider's uneasiness and whinnied nervously and sidestepping a little from their path. Instantly Adessa let go of Legolas's hand to comfort her horse, soothing him with smooth strokes and pats on his neck until he calmed down again. He tossed his head for a moment and then bobbed, flinging his mane up and shaking it wildly.

'You can sense what I feel can't you?' She questioned, glancing back at Artemis and choosing not to speak. 'I wonder what you would do if our roles were reversed.'

Artemis looked back at Adessa and there was something in her eyes, a weight of experience but she simply shook her head. "I'm not saying these things to be cruel, I want you both to have all the information. I might be totally wrong and I pray to my various gods that I am."

She spurred her horse forward and trotted ahead of them her shoulders set. Gandalf rode ahead of Legolas and Adessa to ride beide Artemis but neither of them spoke any further.


	17. Chapter 17

**Yes, I am using the song from the Second Hobbit Movie. I love that song and its my Bestie and I's favorite to sing.**

They camped in a hollow between the hills that night and Legolas drew Adessa away from the camp a short ways to give them some privacy. He gathered her to him holding her just resting her head against his chest while he stroked her hair. The late hour did nothing to ease Adessa and her ever growing fears of what was going to befall them in Lothlorien. When they stopped for the night and Legolas took her aside so they could be alone for a while, all she could think about was how conflicted Legolas really was on the inside. He hide everything well, even from her, but now she wondered if he was just as troubled by all this as she was. She wanted everything to return to the way it was... when it was just them traveling Middle Earth and when they stayed in Rivendell for a time, it was perfect. Nothing to worry about at all...

"No memories but still so many questions..." She muttered softly, turning her face inward against Legolas's strong frame and looking at her hand as it was rested on his chest, over where his heart was. "Happiness, but always curious..."

She let out a long sigh and nuzzled her lips against the soft flesh of his neck. "Is it really so bad?"

It was a question that she had wrestled with until they stopped and made camp. Her wings fluttered in irritation and ever since she and Legolas met up with Artemis and Gandalf she wanted nothing more than to fly and take Legolas with her, wanting to just leave everything behind and live in peace with him by her side forever. Strengthening her hold on the front of his shirt, Adessa couldn't help but let her shoulders slump in defeat, exhausted from her inner debates. He cupped her cheek and made her look up at him. His eyes were troubled and worried but they still held all the feeling he had for her in their crystalline depths. "I refuse to believe that the woman I fell in love with, that I Bonded with is so very different from the woman Artemis knows. Whatever else you may or may not be you are my Bonded mate, come what may that will not change even if I have to follow you to the ends of time."

He pressed his lips to hers and she could feel the anxiety, the need and the love in him as he kissed her. Adessa bit back a few tears that she felt rising to her eyes and kissed Legolas's sensual lips with a fiery passion. This is what she wanted to hold on to forever, this moment in time was most precious to her. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly to her, needing to have him close enough to feel his heart beat in unison with her's.

"Perhaps she is just the other side of the same coin?" She asked, breathing softly and trying to sound hopeful, but wondering if her attempts were halfhearted. "Come what may, I will never stop looking for you. Even should time claim my body and I die, I know my soul will search for you still until we are united for always and forever."

He kissed her fiercely his hands running up her sides tracing across her breasts and she could feel the hunger quicken in her as he backed them further into the shadows. They were quiet and the lovemaking was shorter than they would have prefered but when they returned to camp they both felt calmer. Gandalf was smoking his pipe and reading a book while Artemis amused herself making curious shapes in the fire with her power. She was shaping the flames into a bird with outspread wings when Adessa sat down. Legolas prepared himself and Adessa's blankets close together so when they were ready for sleep, he would be able to watch over her. Adessa watched Artemis play with the fire for a time and gazed at the flames, their shape becoming clearer to her and she sat up straighter and pointed at them before tapping her chin as if she was trying to recall something and then the cold metal on her forehead sparked the name she wanted to remember. Her wings fluttered several times when she remembered and then fanned out a few more times, never really keeping still for any amount of time thereafter.

"Nargis." She said simply, looking at Artemis and touched the diadem at her forehead. "Who was Nargis?"

Artemis looked over at her and smiled. "He was your pet bird for a while. He was a black bird with blue markings. Hang on, I can show you."

She got up and rummaged in her saddlebags coming out with what Adessa could only assume was a shirt. It didn't look like any shirt she'd ever seen, the sleeves were too short, it was baggy and on the front was an image that didn't look sewn on but was somehow imprinted on the fabric of a black bird with its wings spread in flight with blue markings on the wings and breast. "You loved that bird, you could actually communicate with him and he saved our bacon a few times."

"If I loved him that much, why did he not come with me to Middle Earth?" Adessa asked, fingering the bird on the shirt and then touching her diadem again. "I would think as companions we would have been here together."

Artemis reached over and took the diadem off and held it up. "Well in a way he did. He wasn't with us in the last world we were in either until you found this shirt with him on it. I think his physical form as a real live bird can't transition between the worlds but because he was so important to you his image appears in some form in each subsequent world we go to. A Shirt and now a diadem." She settled the diadem back on Adessas brow and started putting the shirt away.

Adessa shook her head and sighed, pushing hair out of her face and looking up at the stars. "It's far too strange a thing." She mumbled and wrapped her arms around her legs, tucking them close to her chest.

Artemis smiled slightly and sat down by the fire again. She started shaping the fire again and spoke while she did, the images in the fire shifted and changed following her narrative. "Once upon a time two women worked together making things and selling them at the market, they were very good at it. Then one day as they returned from a poor day at market the ground shook and thunder pealed and the women were ripped out of their time and into the distant past. They met two heroes, one of such strength he was said to be part God, and the other a hunter of great renown." The fire showed two men one very tall and muscular, the other shorter and lithe.

"The women journeyed with the heroes to speak to a great prophet, one who could tell them how to return home. The prophet told them they would have to defeat a great Evil in order to return home. They journeyed far and wide and saw many things until finally a dream of the Evil drew them to its lair and with the strength of their friendship and the love they held for each other they defeated the Evil with fire and power." The fire showed one of the women wreathed in flames then a separate male figure separated from the flaming female figure and was engulfed in flames finally exploding in a pop of sparks, by now Gandalf and Legolas were watching in rapt fascination.

"They all returned to the half gods home where they believed they would remain but the God who brought them to the distant past appeared and said they must go home to their time. They entered the portal he summoned and thought they were going home but another God decided they would be useful and sent them to another world."

The fire showed enormous buildings and four shapes like men but with huge shells on their back greeting the two women. "They met four brothers who had the countenance of turtles and the skills of the finest warriors. The girls had been sent to help the brothers put a stop to a dangerous gang of bandits. But in the process the brothers were transformed into humans against their will and one fell very ill. One woman stayed to aid him while the other gave solace to the other three and they all reached moments of clarity, of affirmation of their life's goals." The flames showed the male figures dancing with one woman, having a date with the other and a whirling image of the four brothers and the two women walking the streets of that strangest of cities.

Then there came a time when the gang was at its weakest and the women and the brothers came up with a plan. They infiltrated the gangs hideout and destroyed their weapons. They brought the brothers back to their original forms and left them stronger and happier than they had met them. But then the God called them again and the women were separated." The fire showed the two women being pulled apart then the images faded.

"In stories things would have a happy ending, the guy would get the girl, the bad guy would be vanquished and the world would go back to normal. But this is no story, and there is no such thing as normal." Artemis stared into the fire and rubbed a spot on her thumb.

Adessa's listened to the story with undivided attention and had watched the flames flicker and grow with the words Artemis had spoken. She made no noise herself, but was intrigued again, much like she had been when she and Legolas had first gotten to Rivendell and was allowed to wander in Lord Elrond's private library and gardens. It was almost like a wonder she had known before, but now couldn't place it. She looked at Legolas and took his hand again. "That ending holds no truth for us my love." She said softly in the Elvish tongue, not caring if Gandalf understood them. "We will remain strong though we may be divided for a time."

She looked over at Artemis from across the fire and shook her head. "Is it really true then...? Are we the two women you spoke about in your tale?" Adessa asked, hazel eyes bright in the fire light. "It must be for a few of my scattered memories coincide with your tale."

Artemis cleared her throat. "We are the women from my story. We've been friends for years, you helped me through the heartbreak of the love of my life leaving to pursue his own dreams. I helped you through the same heartbreak when your fiance left because you didn't want children. We've held each other up, covered each other's backs, we started a business together, lived together, laughed, cried, sung, argued. And if you never get your memories back I'll still be your friend. Because if this is the new you then I want to get to know you all over again."

Such sweet words brought tears to Adessa's eyes and her wings fluttered so heavily that she was lifted from her seat and flew around the campfire to embrace Artemis. She didn't know why, but she felt that they too shared a bond of friendship that was strong enough to pass through time and space.

"Thank you for telling me all this before we arrived in Lothlorien." Adessa said softly, pulling back and looking at Artemis's soft brown eyes. "The decision before us will be a hard one to make, but we will make it when the time is right."

Standing up again, Adessa walked back over to her spot beside Legolas and sat down, resting her head on his shoulder and beginning to hum a song that she couldn't remember the words to. It started softly and then steadily grew in tone. Artemis started singing her voice rising through the air as though the fire lifted it. "Oh Misty eye of the mountain below/ keep careful watch of my brothers soul/ and should the sky be filled with fire and smoke/ keep watching over Durin son."

Adessa suddenly found that she knew the words after all and joined the singing. "If this is to end in fire/ Then we should all burn together/ Watch the flames climb high into the night/ Calling out father, oh, stand by and we will/ Watch the flames burn auburn on/ The mountain side."

Legolas and Gandalf watched the two women and for a few minutes they could see the relationship Artemis talked about. "And if we should die tonight/ Then we should all die together/ Raise a glass of wine for the last time/ Calling out father, oh / Prepare as we will/ Watch the flames burn auburn over /The mountain side/ Desolation comes upon the sky/ Now I see fire/  
Inside the mountain/ I see fire/ Burning the trees/ And I see fire/ Hollowing souls."

Legolas felt something in his heart lurch listening to the song. A sense that everything he thought he knew was about to change and he glanced at Gandalf wondering if the old man felt the same. "I see fire/ Blood in the breeze/ And I hope that you remember me/ Oh, should my people fall in/ Surely I'll do the same/ Confined in mountain halls/ We got too close to the flame/ Calling out father/ Hold fast and we will/ Watch the flames burn auburn on/ The mountain side."

Gandalf had watched Artemis for weeks, knowing she spoke the truth about how she'd come to Middle Earth and knowing there were things she hadn't told him because she didn't want to change the flow of their world but in that moment he felt as though she were centuries older than him. Even with the elves he'd never felt ignorant. He wondered if it were possible to somehow follow her out of Middle Earth and to wherever her world was. "Desolation comes upon the sky / Now I see fire/ Inside the mountain/ I see fire/ Burning the trees/ And I see fire/ Hollowing souls / And I see fire/ / Blood in the breeze/ And I hope that you remember me/ And if the night is burning/ I will cover my eyes/ For if the dark returns then/ My brothers will die/ And as the sky is falling down/ It crashed into this lonely town."

Adessa couldn't understand how she knew this song, or where she'd learned but she knew it and it filled her to the brim. She wove the melody with Artemis and it felt right. "And with that shadow upon the ground/ I hear my people screaming out/ Now I see fire/ Inside the mountain/ I see fire/ Burning the trees/ And I see fire/ Hollowing souls/ And I see fire/ Blood in the breeze."

Artemis poured her anxiety, her sadness, her worry and her regrets into the song and let them fly away on the wings of music and decided that no matter what happened, whether Tracey chose to remain Adess or if she came back to herself she would accept it. She would not stand in the way of fate, no matter what fate chose. "I see fire/ (Oh you know I saw a city burning)/ And I see fire (Feel the heat upon my skin, yeah)/ And I see fire/ And I see fire burn auburn on the mountain side."

The last notes died away and Artemis stood and walked away from the fire into the dark her back straight, shoulders set. Gandalf motioned for Legolas and Adessa to stay put. "She'll be fine." He murmured and knocked ash out of his pipe before refilling it. "We should get some sleep. Tomorrow always seems to come earlier and earlier."

Adessa nodded and settled down on her pallet alongside Legolas and curled up with him, her back to the fire and her head resting on her arm. She blinked at him through sleepy eyes and yawned into the back of her hand.

"I love you Legolas, may your dreams be pleasant ones." She said, leaning up to kiss his tender, petal soft lips and folding her wings against her back.


	18. Chapter 18

When they woke at dawn the next day Artemis was already up and making breakfast. She had thick slices of bread in a frying pan with chunks of the middle torn out. Eggs fried in the hollows and she laid slices of cheese over them which started to melt around the edges. "There's tea in the pot." She said motioning to a pot sitting on a flat rock near the fire.

Blinking sleep from her eyes and rubbing her face a bit to help her wake up, Adessa nodded and pushed hair out of her face. She didn't want to wake Legolas right away and slid out carefully from his arm, which he had draped over her all night and pulled out cups for everyone.

"Thank you for preparing breakfast, we usually eat dried fruit, and bread and cheese while we're riding to save time in between stops." She said quietly.

Dividing up the tea amongst them, she then proceeded to take a small bowl and fill it with water. She took a rag and some soap to clean off her face before drying it and rinsing out the bowl and rag. Putting these aside, she took a tea cup to Legolas's sleeping form and gave him a gentle shake on the arm to wake him. When she beheld his beautiful blue eyes, she smiled most lovingly and offered him the tea.

"Good morrow my love."

He sat up and smiled kissing her gently before accepting the cup. Gandalf hobbled to the fire and sat as close as he could without sitting in it. "Artemis has very strong ideas on the proper way to eat. We eat what she calls 'a real meal' twice a day. Breakfast and dinner. She'd do a hobbit proud if she only cooked about 4 more meals a day."

Artemis stuck her tongue out at him and put the fried egg in its bread casing on plates and handed them around. "You need fuel to function."

Adessa looked at the strangeness on her plate, but didn't object to it. She actually found it to be delightful and eagerly consumed her breakfast, using the piece of bread that would have been the center of the slice to mop up the egg yolk when it broke. Once they finished their plates, she took them to the nearby stream they had conveniently camped beside and washed them. Using a rag to dry them again, she gave them back to their rightful people before tying up her own saddle bag and finishing her tea quickly.

"How much further do you think we have Legolas?" She asked, gently throwing Summer Breeze's blanket and saddle onto his back and tightening the girth strap firmly. The saddlebags latched in snugly and then she finished her work by putting on his bridle and tucking in all the strips of leather properly.

"Two weeks at the least." He replied coming over to help her mount. "So long as the weather holds."

Gandalf mounted his horse and looked up at the sky but shrugged and turned his horse back towards the road. "Then I suggest a brisk pace to challenge your guess." She said with a smile, giving his hand a quick squeeze before tapping her heels and clicking with her mouth to get Summer Breeze moving forward.

The days stayed clear if cold and they moved at a better pace than Legolas had thought possible even with Artemis's insistence on eating a real meal in the mornings which delayed them by about a half hour every day. They were within a day's ride of Lothlorien when night fell and they had to make camp for the night. Artemis was chopping meat into chunks and rolling it in sale breadcrumbs as the moon rose higher and a dubious Gandalf looked on. Adessa looked up at the night sky and watched the stars twinkling overhead before the moonlight shone through the trees. She started to feel the need to stretch her wings again and stood up from her sitting position by the fire. Walking to the nearest tree, a thick and towering Oak, she gently touched it's bark, it's tough outer skin rough beneath her fingers. Still she looked up at the moon in wonder and her wings fluttered more aggressively.

"I'll be right back..." She murmured almost as if she was in a trance and leapt up, alighting into the tree branches above their campsite.

She flew up high and vanished into the upper foliage, climbing ever higher until she flew out of the foliage completely and hovered several paces above the treetops. The moon was bright and bountiful, filling Adessa with its enriching energy and radiating around her slender form. Her wings caught the light and made them sparkle, but she didn't notice, her eyes were still fixated on the moon. She flew up high and vanished into the upper foliage, climbing ever higher until she flew out of the foliage completely and hovered several paces above the treetops. The moon was bright and bountiful, filling Adessa with its enriching energy and radiating around her slender form. Her wings caught the light and made them sparkle, but she didn't notice, her eyes were still fixated on the moon. After a time she felt refreshed and returned to the treetops, alighting to the ground again and eyes bright. By the time she got back to the campfire, dinner was already starting to smell good and she felt her stomach give a gurgle of protest. She looked around to see if anyone noticed and covered her stomach with her hand and smiled.

Artemis was just putting little fried nuggets of meat onto plates with bread and fruit and telling Gandalf not to be so fussy. "You eat Hobbit food don't you? Well this stuff would make a Hobbit swoon with delight." She handed Adessa a plate. "Now if I just had some Barbeque sauce…"

Taking her plate and looking at the strange food, Adessa thanked Artemis and gave her a quizzical look.

"Barbeque sauce? What is this sauce in which you speak of?" She asked curiously, laughing a little afterward about her Hobbit comment. "Hobbits would swoon even more if there were great heaps of food to be had Artemis, they can store food in their stomachs to last them until supper which comes after dinner."

Artemis chuckled. "It's a tangy sauce made with tomato paste, vinegar and spices. I'm sure some enterprising Hobbit will think it up someday and make loads of it."

She started munching on her fried meat nuggets leaning back against a fallen tree they were using as a windbreak and fuel source. "Did you have a good flight?"

Taking a very timid bit of her meat nugget, Adessa's features contorted with delight at the flavor that burst into her mouth. Like breakfast that first morning, this meal was also surprisingly delicious and she was deeply enjoying herself. She noticed Legolas wasn't eating any meat and smiled at him while he munched on some fruit instead.

"I did, whenever the moon is high I feel so alive with it's enriching energy. I have never really understood it myself, but it's always relaxed me." Adessa replied, finishing her second meat nugget and licking her fingers before picking up her next one and chewing on it. "You wouldn't happen to know why, would you Artemis? Do Faeries have other abilities other than flying and preserving flowers?"

Artemis blinked and stared at a nugget in contemplation for a moment. "I didn't know Faeries could preserve flowers…" She mused. "In my world the Fae have all sorts of powers but here in Middle Earth I have no idea. I didn't even know they existed in Middle Earth to be frank." She looked at Legolas and frowned. "If you aren't going to eat them why didn't you say something?"

"I did." He muttered. "About the time you decided to start serving meat at every meal and you ignored me."

Artemis snorted and held out her plate. "Give them here. Its no wonder you're so damned skinny, surviving on lawn clippings all day." She grinned to take some of the sting out of her jab and split his portion of the nuggets between her, Adessa and Gandalf who was happily devouring his.

She turned her attention back to Adessa. "Honestly the way I've had to figure out most of my powers so far is trial and error… with a dash of prior experience tossed in mostly at random. Up until here anyway when Gandalf was on hand to teach me how to now blow anyone up."

"Unless you count those unfortunate frogs." Gandalf added.

Artemis actually flushed a little and laughed. "You're never going to let me forget that are you?"

He popped a nugget into his mouth and merely smiled. "I must apologize, I should have also mentioned that Elves don't eat meat." Adessa said quietly. "After living amongst them for a while, I learned a lot from just observing them and naturally picked up the habit of eating like they do... which of course there's nothing wrong with that. I guess I didn't realize that I liked meat until now."

She gave Artemis a small smile and then put her hand on Legolas's arm to comfort him a little. The last thing she wanted was for he and Artemis to get into a tizzy about something so small and insignificant as meat. Artemis shook her head and grinned. "Oh he knows I'm just giving him shit. You can tell look, he's trying not to smile." She pointed a slightly greasy finger at Legolas and she was right, he had a tiny smirk quirking his lips.

Artemis set her plate aside and wiped her fingers on her pants. "Lets see, the Faery here in Middle Earth must be an offshoot of the same force that brought the Elves into being."

"Eru Ilúvatar." Legolas inserted sitting forward. "The Creator of all."

Artemis nodded. "Thanks. I know the basic histories but not all the names and details."

"I'm impressed you know that much." Gandalf replied looking thoughtful.

Artemis shook her head at him. "I've told you before I am not going into how or why I know so much about Middle Earth, I get the feeling I'm doing enough damage just by being here. Anyway," She turned her attention back to Adessa. "If they were created in tandem with the elves to watch over the Trees of Valinor it stands to reason that to a certain degree They would have similar powers. Agelessness, preternatural agility, immunity to toxins and the like and a certain ability with magic. You'll probably have to try different things and see if anything sticks."

Adessa gave her a nod and then looked at her hands, feeling them pulse faintly with a warm power.

"I think that will be something to try in the morning while we're moving toward Lothlorien." She answered softly with a smile, eager to experiment with any abilities she may have with magic. "Better to have our wits about us when delving into those arts. Good night all, pleasant dreams."

She tilted her head and let out another yawn, trying to hide it behind her hand. Quickly cleaning and drying off her plate and putting it away, she patted Summer Breeze's neck and then returned to her spot by the fire. Settling down on her blanket, Adessa gave Legolas a quick kiss and draped her cloak over her body, her back to the fire. Her head resting on her arm and the other lay on the blanket by her face. Slowly her eyes grew heavy with sleep and soon enough she had slipped into the world of dreams.


	19. Chapter 19

Nearly a half day more travel brought them to the edges of Lothlorien and Adessa was in awe of the tall pale trees that rode from the earth like beams of soft light. The leaves on these trees were still lush and full as if it were only just beginning summer in the Wood and birdsong filled the air. Legolas and Gandalf dismounted and Artemis followed suit as they entered the edge of the forest and a sense of calm wafted over them. Artemis seemed vaguely annoyed with it but she didn't say much of anything as she tried to see in all directions at once. They had only taken a handful of steps into the Wood when the first patrol of elves seemed to simply appear before them. Their pale coloring and pale eyes reminded Adessa of Legolas but where he was a candle they were moonlight. "Why have you come to the Wood?" One of them asked.

"We were invited." Gandalf replied calmly. "And I may come and go in the Ladies Wood at my leisure. You know this Haldir."

Haldir seemed irritated at the Wizard casual manner. "You, but not these others. Who have you brought with you?"

Gandalf looked at Artemis and then to Legolas, Artemis shrugged but Legolas stepped forward and spoke soothly in High Elven. "We bring the Lady Adessa to the Lady Galadriel as invited. I am her Bonded mate and the human woman her companion." He made companion sound like servant and Adessa was glad Artemis didn't speak Elven.

Haldir looked them over before bowing stiffly and motioning for them to follow him. After a walk that could have taken minutes or hours, it was hard to tell in the Wood, they entered the sweeping spires of what could only be called a city. The buildings were built around and as part of the giant pale trees. Adessa had slowly dismounted when they arrived at Lothlorien and couldn't stop looking around at everything. It reminded her a lot of Rivendell, it's beauty and elegance was present in every structure and statue she saw. She looked to each of the Elves and noted their ageless features. Haldir couldn't be excluded at all, his broad, armor clad shoulders were squared and his posture erect and straight. Portions of his blondish almost white hair fell over his shoulders and framed his face perfectly.

"Thank you, my Lord." Adessa said politely and gently shifted her knapsack over her shoulders.

Other Elves came forward and took their horses away, taking them to their stable and tending to them in their new stalls. Their saddle bags and other items would be brought to the guest houses where they would be brought by later. As they walked Adessa still couldn't keep her eyes focused on where they were going, her eyes and head wouldn't let her. She gazed at tapestries, statues, water fountains, and the other Elven houses and structures they passed.

"This is truly a marvelous city... much like Rivendell." She said quietly, smiling and touching Legolas's arm gently.

Legolas twined her arm through his and smiled at her. "Someday I hope to take you to Mirkwood so you may see the halls where I played as a child long and long ago."

Gandalf opened his mouth to speak but was cut off when an attendant announced the Lady Galadriel. Adessa was stunned by the Elf who walked sedately down the pale stairs towards them. She was tall, even for her race and so beautiful that she made every elf around her, male and female seem homely; her hair was like spun gold, her skin the paleness of new snow and her eyes a heartstopping blue. She wore a flowing white gown and seemed to float down the stairs until she came to a stop in front of them. "Be welcome in Lothlorien and know that no evil may come here save what you bring with you." She turned and smiled at Gandalf.

"Mithrandir," She paused and seemed to remember something. "Gandalf, my friend, it i good to see you again so soon. I recognize Legolas, son of Thranduil but who are these other two you bring?"

Legolas stepped forward and bowed before drawing Adessa forward. "This is Adessa, my Bonded mate. She has come at your invitation."

"The pleasure it mine, Lady Galadriel." Adessa said softly, averting her eyes and giving the elegant Lady of light a deep curtsy, her hand over her heart. "Thank you for your warm greetings, Lothlorien is truly a special place to behold."

Adessa felt strangely humbled by this She-Elf. No feelings of ill came from her and when she spoke her voice rang with a pleasant tone that filled her with ease and safety. She was beautiful, a picture of regality and strong of will that would make any wish to please her if only to see her smile.

"This is my friend Artemis." She added, sweeping her hand out to introduce her friend with a smile. "We caught up with each other on our travels to Lothlorien and they came back with us."

Galadriel gave Adessa a gentle smile and looked at Artemis who stood straight and proud, chin up looking around her at her surroundings as if she wound up in places like this everyday. She flashed Galadriel a smile that had Gandalf and Legolas opening their mouths to warn her to be polite but Galadriel held up a hand. "Artemis… a name I have never heard and yet feel I should know. What are you? Gandalf is a Wizard, Legolas an elf, Adessa a Faery but you… you look like a human woman but there is much more to you."

Artemis shrugged diffidently and smiled again. "I am me. As I have always been and by the grace of my various gods will always be."

Galadriel laughed and the sound swept the courtyard like a spring breeze after a long hard winter. "You know yourself; so very few do. Be welcome in the Wood and in my home Adessa and Artemis."

She motioned for them to follow her up a set of stairs that wound around a enormous pale tree to a building set within the branches. No nail pierced wood nor rope wrapped around the shimmering bark but the building sat steady and solid. It was a round building and the room they were led into was cozy with ornate chairs of some darker wood cushioned in greens and blues set around a brasier, bookshelves lined the walls and tall windows let in the light. Adessa had to instantly resist the urge to start plucking books from the bookshelves and smiled at the furnishings. She shrugged off her cloak and folded it neatly over in her arms, her wings fluttering freely to open and close behind her as if they had been folding for weeks than merely just hours. Their colors danced in the light behind her, causing the floor to sparkle and glimmer.

"You have quite an impressive collection of books my Lady." She started, arms folded over her chest with her cloak resting over her arms. "I might even be as bold to say more impressive than Lord Elrond's library."

The view of their new atmosphere from the windows as she started to pass by them made her stop and turn her full attention to the light. Her eyes sparkled in the light and her smile grew wider, totally speechless and in awe. Adessa's wings fluttered with more excitement than she had allowed them when they first entered the city in hopes to keep prying eyes from staring and talk quieter than their arrival in Rivendell had been.

"Absolutely magnificent." She breathed, enjoying the warm weather and fresh breeze as it blew in through the open window and made the curtains dance.

Galadriel smiled. "Perhaps when we have spoken you may spend some time perusing the selection but for now please come sit, there is much to discuss."

Artemis had already taken a seat and Gandalf had found one by the fire and was lighting a pipe. Legolas waited for Adessa to choose a seat before he sat. Coming away from the window, Adessa sat down in a chair with blue cushions and crossed her right ankle over her left before arranging her skirts comfortably and folded her hands in her lap.

"Of course you are right my Lady." Adessa said with another smile. "I tend to forget why I am where I am when I find things that interest me. But there is the reason behind your invitation that has me wondering as to why you sent for us. It is my hopes that you have a solution to my problem or at least an idea of how I may find what I am missing."

Galadriel pondered her for a moment before speaking. "I invited you because I had a vision. I saw you flying in the moonlight and knew something ancient had come again. I do not know what you are missing or even if I am able to help you find what you seek, I simply knew you had to be here in Lothlorien. Tell me your story and I may be able to aid you."

Adessa took a deep breath and pulled her thoughts in order before opening her eyes again and regaling with some effort and about how she woke up on soft moss, surrounded by crystals that shone brightly with their own light and how she found a few necessities already waiting for her as if they had been provided for her by something or someone she never met when she woke up. She recounted that try as she might, she couldn't remember a thing about herself, where she had come from or where she even was, let alone her own name. All of that was a mystery to her and she questioned many things, even when she met Legolas. A good bit of time passed before Adessa stopped her story and looked to each face and then to Galadriel for answers.

"Artemis has even tried to provide answers to my questions, but it has given little insight and has brought about even more questions." Adessa explained, letting out a sigh as her wings fluttered in irritation behind her. "I wish for things to be clearer... to make sense."

Galadriel rang a tiny bell and an attendant came in. She told him to bring food and tea and while they waited she considered what Adessa had told her. She looked at Artemis who was sitting legs crossed, one foot idly swinging back and forth while she played with something in her hands. The attendant brought in the food and a table was brought forth by another pair of attendants. Galadriel poured a cup of tea and motioned the rest of them to do the same before she turned to Artemis. "And what is your tale?"

Artemis took a sip of the hot sweet tea before starting in on her side of the story. She glossed over how she knew so much of Middle Earth and she only hit the highlights of her previous adventures in other worlds. But when she'd finished Galadriel seemed to understand her hesitance to divulge too much. "So much turmoil surrounding the pair of you."

She looked at Adessa. "I have no doubt that you are who you believe yourself to be but I also have no doubt that you were once this Tracey that Artemis remembers. As to why you cannot remember it is a puzzle, one I will need a few days to figure out. For the time being please make yourselves at home."

She rang the bell again and an Attendant came to show them to their quarters however Galadriel was so preoccupied with the puzzle of Adessa that she neglected to give instructions on where everyone was to be quartered.. Legolas and Adessa were housed in a private building much like the one Galadriel's sitting room was in but this one had all the furnishings of a small apartment. Gandalf apparently had long established quarters on the ground. "If I were meant to be so far off the ground I'd have been given wings." He had been heard grumbling when the attendant offered him better accommodations in the trees.

The elves seemed puzzled as to where to house Artemis however, Adessa and Legolas had retired to their own lofty apartment leaving Artemis in the care of the Elves of Lothlorien who all seemed to think she was some sort of servant to either Legolas or Gandalf who was also well out of sight in his own quarters. She eventually stopped trying to persuade them otherwise and just let them lead her to a small square building on the other side of the stables where their horses were kept. It was clean if rougher than the more elegant buildings used by higher class elves and it reminded her of the house she'd shared with Iolaus in Ancient Greece. Just thinking about that made her chest tight, she shook her head and walked into the small building which at least had all the amenities shed grown accustomed to. Her saddlebags were already waiting for her and she pulled out her satchel and retrieved a leather bound journal she'd started keeping and sat at the small table near the window and began to write. "Dear Iolaus…"


	20. Chapter 20

**So... I keep forgetting to put warnings up on these things. This story has lots of sexy hanky panky fun. If you don't like that sort of thing read with caution.**

Just as Gandalf was taken to his resting quarters, Adessa couldn't help but laugh at his comment and shuffle her wings a little more before she and Legolas were taken to their chambers in the trees. Once they had arrived at their room, their attendant opened the beautifully carved doors and stepped aside to allow them to enter. Adessa's wonder never seemed to stop, her eyes grew ever wider with everything she saw. The furniture was elegant and simple, perfect for the two of them and she loved it. Placing her folded cloak on the back of a chair, she was glad to find that their saddlebags and their personal bags were there as well. Going to the window, Adessa pulled open the window and the breeze instantly made the curtains dance wildly. Her hair and wings fluttered back and it caused her clothes to ripple in the air. She took in a deep breath of the sweet smelling air and let it out in a rush before turning back to look at Legolas.

"I feel light and refreshed... I will find the answers I seek here, I know it." She said quietly, slowly wrapping her arms around Legolas neck and leaned into him to kiss his lips. "Thank you for traveling with me, being my constant guardian and my love... I have never been this truly happy."

He wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her in snug against him and smiled. "It has been a pleasure." He replied and kissed her.

The kisses grew hungry, they hadn't had much time to themselves while on the road. His hands caressed her through her dress and one hand came up to rub just under the wing joint, a spot they'd learned was an erogenous zone for her. His lips slid along her neck teasing the skin over her collarbone. Adessa's breath caught in her throat and her eyes instantly closed to savor his delicate touch on her body. His breath on her flesh made her shiver slightly, heat rising to her cheeks and she began to feel weak in his arms again. Her shoulder-blades twitched at his touch and her wings nearly became limp as he caressed her back. Adessa touched his cheek and brought him back up to her awaiting lips where she poured her passion into her kisses. Oh how she loved him so, everything about him excited her and his eyes told her all she needed to know. She tugged at the laces on his tunic and giggled as she applied a little pressure with her hands to his chest, pushing him gently backward toward the bed.

"May we always be this happy." She whispered, kissing him again and unbalancing him enough to make him topple over backward onto the bed.

He dragged her down to him his hands working their way up under her skirts to tease her bare skin. "Always this happy and more." He murmured.

"And more." Adessa agreed with a smile, her hair cascading down over her shoulder.

She touched his cheek and kissing him passionately. Her hands traced over his tunic and untied the laces at his throat before traveling to the hem of his shirt and drawing it up and over his head. The lack of a shirt on him revealed smooth, slightly tanned skin free of hair and scars, nothing marred his perfect body. Adessa planted several butterfly kisses on his chest and shoulders, her fingers gently running over him as she enticed him. A devious smile touched her lips as her wings flapped and she took off, hovering over him for a moment before fluttering over to the windows and drawing them closed. Adessa turned back to him, all the while her wings holding her a fair few inches off the ground, and untied the sash around her waist, followed by the rest of her clothes until they trailed to the bed and left her bare, her smooth, pale skin shining in the sunlight that still streamed in through the windows. Fluttering her wings forward at an angle, she drifted seamlessly through the air and back to the bed and into the awaiting arms of her sensual lover, Legolas.

He pulled her in close then rolled her under him kneeling over her as he shed his trousers before laying himself over her every inch of their skin touching as he ravished her with kisses. Their lovemaking was long and sweet and left them both breathless and exhausted. They fell asleep twinned around one another in a tangle of limbs hair and her wings.

Her dreams were not so sweet. All around her fire raged and she heard the cries of men and women alike as they burned, turning her head she could see enormous beings moving in the flames, creatures that seared the eye with their unnatural forms twisted and hunched. She could hear a voice in the flames chanting something she couldn't understand and another voice, like every voice that was and ever would be responding in strident challenging tones. Suddenly the flames parted and a being who mirrored her form and face walked out to meet her. The Being was covered in blood and ash and her hair whipped back and forth in the hellfire wind. "You should not be here." The Voice that was all Voices said. "Your task is not on this plane, you must not fail us or all will fall to this hell. Right the wrongs, save reality."

A wave of fire swamped the Being and she was swept out of view and Adessa woke covered in sweat screaming.

"No!" She screamed, hurling herself up from her resting position on the bed and clutched the bedsheets to her body as a few tears started to form in her eyes and trickle down her cheeks.

Adessa covered her mouth quickly with her other hand to stifle any more cries and looked to Legolas, hoping she hadn't woken him. She shook her head and pushed back the covers from her body, grabbing a robe from a chair while she passed it and wrapped it around her naked body. Picking up her clothes from the floor and putting them with her saddlebags, she poured some water into a wash bin. She took the folded cloth from the side of the stand and dampened it so she could wash her face. When she looked into the bowl and saw her reflection, the droplets of water fell from her chin and caused the smooth surface to ripple.

"Why is this happening?!" She questioned horsley, keeping her voice down and pushing hair from her face. "Why can't the outside forces leave me alone in my happiness?!"

Looking back to the bed, Adessa shook her head, finished washing the sweat from her face and dressing in an off-shoulder, baggy shirt, a corset with silver embroidery, and a pair of form fitting black pants. Tying a light blue sash around her waist, Adessa left her feet bare and looked to the window, the moonlight shining in through the curtains and sparkling around her feet. Opening the windowpanes, she looked up to the moon and let the breeze blow back her hair. This is what she needed, a flight in the moonlight would help to clear her mind and with a deep breath she leapt forward and vanished over the balcony of their room. She let herself free-fall through the air for several seconds but it really seemed like a lifetime to Adessa until she opened her wings and flapped them hard, gliding between the trees. At the moment she didn't care who saw her, all she needed was time to herself and fresh air to clear her thoughts and plan her next move.

She was flying towards the stables when she noticed Artemis standing out in the moonlight, she was moving her hands in strange sweeping gestures, as she moved a bubble of purple light formed around her then started shaping itself into the figure of a man. The man was composed of purple light that swirled like a soap bubble, he held out his arms and Artemis moved delicately into the embrace. They began to dance to a song only Artemis could hear and other figures of purple light appeared and began dancing as well until Artemis was surrounded by a crowd of dancing purple figures who all seemed to be moving to a song Adessa couldn't hear.

Alighting down onto thick, nearby branches Adessa grabbed a branch at her side to help stop herself and carefully sat down to watch Artemis and her dancing partner from her crouched position. The shadows hid her well enough and the moonlight shifted between the clouds and created a beautiful light show below the canopy floor. Adessa sighed and settled on the branch with her wings folded and her back against the bulk of the tree. This was a good a place as any to think about what she was going to do next.

"If only these choices were simple to make." She sighed, looking up at the moon and it's shimmering beauty. "I just want to be happy with Legolas."

She took her time in examining all what the alter-reflection of her dream self had said and it was clear to her now what she would have to do. It made her heart ache to think of the path that she would have to tread now and even though she would have Artemis with her in her final decision, she would still be alone. Looking back down at Artemis dancing with her partner, Adessa left her final thoughts alone and watched them for a time.

Artemis stopped dancing and let the crowd around her fade, the figures popping like soap bubbles one by one sending showers of flower petals into the air. The final figure was harder to let go, she knew it was stupid to keep making likenesses of Iolaus. It made letting him go so much harder but she missed him badly. Finally his image too burst into a shower of purple flower petals and floated away on the breeze. She watched the petals as they spiraled up into the air and jumped a little when Galadriel stepped from the shadows. "You dance very well." Galadriel said softly.

Artemis inclined her head. "Thanks."

"Your partner, the last one you let free, who is he to you?" Galadriel asked.

Artemis thought about what to say. "Someone I loved very much." She replied simply and Galadriel nodded.

"Your friend Adessa wishes to stay here." She spoke as though to herself but Artemis nodded.

"I know. And I would let her if I thought either of us really had a choice."

Galadriel turned to face her fully her face half shadowed and Artemis felt her stomach clench, she was suddenly reminded that Galadriel was a much more powerful being than she was. "Why would either of you have no choice?" Galadriel asked.

Artemis lifted her chin, she'd be damned if she was cowed now. "Because we aren't the ones choosing where we go and when. We've been sent here by something greater than any of us, including you, to fix something and once it's fixed we'll be sent on to the next task, and the next and the next until we either save everything or die."

Adessa could easily hear what Artemis was saying and it sent shivers through her. Artemis seemed to self assured, so willing to accept what was happening but she also sounded defiant and angry. Galadriel nodded. "Then you have a choice, complete your task and move on or deliberately leave it unfinished to spare Adessa."

Artemis shook her head. "It's not that simple. I think even if I stood still and did nothing events would unfold to force us to complete our task."

"And you accept being a pawn? Being moved by the hands of fate?" Galadriel asked.

"I am a hand of Fate." Artemis replied firmly.

They stood in silence for a moment and Adessa could almost see their wills sparking off each others, two powerful strong women who stood as a rock in white water rapids. Then Galadriel nodded. "I had to test your resolve."

"I know." Artemis replied.

Galadriel turned and swept away, Adessa watched Artemis sag with relief and run her hands over her face before she turned and looked up into the branches right at Adessa. "You may as well come down. I know you're there Adessa."

A half smirk slipped onto Adessa's lips as she leaned forward from the tree branch she was sitting on and her outline appeared in the moonlight. Letting go of the branch, she fell toward Artemis and opened her wings, allowing them to catch an updraft before fluttering the rest of the way to the forest floor and hovering for a time, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I wasn't hiding if that's what you're thinking." She said quietly, her smirk never leaving her lips. "... Do you really think there will be no end to our journeys?"

Artemis quirked her lips in what might have been a smile but sobered again. "There might not be." She said quietly. "I don't know why we were chosen to be sent from World to World setting things right but I know that there is a never ending supply of things to fix no matter where you go."

"Then I guess that all we have left is our hope..." She started, letting her wings slow their beating until her was standing on the ground again. "...Hope that we will find the end and be reunited with the ones we love..."

She sighed heavily and an expression of confusion passed over her features before she looked at Artemis, knowing that she might have some insight as to what she had dreamed.

"I have to come with you Artemis, my nightmare said that my place isn't here and that I had to help fix many problems or else things would fall into ruins..."

"Your nightmare?" Artemis asked curiously.

Adessa pushed her hair from her face as another gust of wind blew past them and nodded absently.

"Yes, I woke up from a nightmare. I was surrounded by fire and destruction and then a figure came through the smoke. She looked like me except she was covered in blood! She said word for word, 'Your task is not on this plane, you must not fail us or all will fall to this hell. Right the wrongs, save reality.' Any thoughts to what she meant? Other than I have to leave... I might as well come with you at this point."

Artemis thought about it and the minutes stretched. "There has always been a voice in the void between the worlds when we are sent from world to world. A voice that sounds like every voice in the universe talking at once… I've always wondered what it belonged to, or who. You may have glimpsed an aspect of that Being."

Adessa laughed once and shook her head.

"Than that Being is scary and I don't want to see them again unless it is to send us home and with whom our hearts really lay with." She answered matter of factually and crossed her arms over her chest. "Now I have a slightly trickier question for you. Do you know why we're here in Middle Earth? Has Gandalf told you anything that could concern us?"

Artemis shook her head. "He hasn't told me anything." She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair. "In Greece we were brought by Zeus to stop a great evil, in New York we were sent to teach Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Leonardo how to accept themselves for who they are and in the process we stopped a dangerous chemical from being used on innocents. We seem to get sent places to set things right, or to solve an injustice. I don't know why and half the time I can't see the solution until it's already happened."

Adessa nodded at Artemis's explanation and tapped her chin thoughtfully, her mouth moving a little and forming silent situations where they could be needed here. Unfortunately without her memories and the abilities to piece together the information that she was lacking, Adessa couldn't fully comprehend why she and Artemis were sent to Middle Earth. She let out a sigh and used both hands to push her hair out of her face and rub temples to relieve the slowly growing headache.

"We have to talk to Gandalf on the morrow, though that might be sooner than we think..." She stopped for a moment and looked at the sky, noticing that the moon had set a considerably and the sky was growing lighter. "We'll have to see what he knows. I want Legolas to be present for that meeting, perhaps Lady Galadriel too, because having other open minds would be handy. Do you think the best place for our conference would be Lady Galadriel's library?"

"Probably if we want privacy." Artemis replied. "Though I for one am not meeting anyone at the crack of dawn. I'm going back to bed and you should too, I was only awake because of my own dreams." She yawned and stretched.

"I shall return to my sleeping chambers soon enough..." Adessa stated, giving her a curious look. "Oh? What dreams would be keeping you up my firefly?" Her wings fluttered a bit and dawn's first lights started to peek through the trees.

Artemis considered her for a moment. "Just dreams of things I've lost, and given up." She peered up at the moon. "Not nightmares though, not like yours. It's not important."

Adessa nodded and fluttered her wings a bit more until they picked her up from the ground and hovered for a moment.

"I wish I knew why I got the nightmares..." She said softly but shrugged it off and took flight.

The wind whipped her black hair back and darted in and out of the trees. Adessa didn't go straight back to her's and Legolas's shared chambers all at once and flitted through the gardens, ignoring the whispers of those Elves tending to the flowers and other bushes of the Lady Galadriel's Wood. She didn't even touch the ground as she ran her fingers gently over the flower petals and sighed tiredly. Even if she tried to, Adessa knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep for fear that her nightmares would return, there was no point in trying. After about an hour longer in the gardens, Adessa would come back here to stroll in them again with Legolas at a later time that day and took flight again. She flew up to their tree and balcony and landed on the railing, the curtains blowing inward with the wind her wings created. Sitting on the railing itself, Adessa watched the sun rise and bathe the woods in brilliant and warm light.

She was not surprised when a few moments after peching on the railing she felt Legolas strong arms wrapping around her and his chin rested on her shoulder. "Are you feeling better?" He asked softly and she knew that stealthy as she'd been he'd known she had woken and left.

"Only a little my love..." Adessa replied softly, feeling herself relax in his arms and her heart beat matching his own. "I am sorry if I woke you, it wasn't my intention to disturb your slumber."

He kissed her cheek his arms comforting around her as they both looked out at the dawn. "I would be a poor lover if I did not waken when my beloved left the bed in distress. I did not follow because you took such pains to leave without waking me."

A smirk touched her lips as they parted to speak again.

"I had a nightmare... again, they seem to come more frequently now." Adessa started, taking a deep breath of fresh air and letting it out again. "I suppose it means that I'm getting closer to finding out what I've lost... and in doing so we will finally figure out why Artemis and I were sent here to Middle Earth."

She rested her hands over his and drew random designs on his skin, loving how smooth it was under her fingers. Everything she had, everything she would acquire in her entire existence she would give up to keep this moment with her love forever. He turned her to face him with her still sitting on the railing her legs to either side of his hips while he cupped her face gently. "We will find the answers you seek my love." He reassured her and kissed her gently.

Adessa melted as soon as she felt his lips on her own and kissed him back. She loved how his soft words could comfort her to the point she could forget about everything that distressed her and enjoy the moment with him, he truly was the perfect lover for her. In this regard, she was blessed and she knew it. He was everything that she wanted in a lover and so much more. Leaning back a little from his petal soft lips with much force of will, Adessa breathed out softly and looked into Legolas's beautiful blue eyes, searchingly and smiled lightly.

"I don't wish to know the outcome of it all... but I must." She said, resting her hands on his chest. "Let this not marr a beautiful morning such as this. Come, we must eat and I wish to see more of this Wood. With you as my guide I shall delight in the moments we share together."

He looked over her shoulder at the sky with the pale pink dawn in the east. With a mischievous grin he picked her up and carried her back to the bed where he lay her down and lay himself over her. "Not even the cooks will be up this early my love. And I've suddenly developed a powerful thirst for your lips." He made good on his comment and kissed her like he could drink her down.

Adessa made a noise as if to protest, but it was cut off by Legolas and his sweet kisses. She succumbed to his love and gently touch that she savored over anything else. Leaning up as far as she could under Legolas's slim body, Adessa kissed him hungrily and ran her hands up his arms until they laced behind his neck and brought him deeper into their throes of passion. She wouldn't resist him, couldn't resist him even if she wanted to. He was everything to her and all she ever wanted.

When they finally came down for the morning meal the sun was high in the sky if not quite at it's noon day zenith and Artemis was sitting at a table with a plate of fruit and cheese and a leather bound book in her hand reading. She smirked up at them resting her chin on her hand. "Well good morning."

"Good morrow to you as well Artemis." Adessa said quietly, shaking her head and rolling her eyes at her, wings shuffling without a care. "Did you rest well after a time?"

She sat down with Legolas at her side and an attendant placed a fresh bowl of fruit, bread, milk, cheese, and tea between them. Thanking him politely, she picked at the various fruits before pouring herself some milk and sampling her food.

Artemis put a ribbon between the pages of the book she was reading and closed it. "I did, thank you." She had barely touched her food Adessa noticed but she seemed in decent spirits.

"Galadriel has asked for a private meeting with you Adessa. She thinks she may have a way to return your memories but she wants to speak with you alone first."

A small pit formed in her stomach and swallowing her food turned out to be a bit tougher for her than she expected. She took her cup of milk and sipped, her world turned upside down by this new bit of information Artemis had provided her with. She looked from Artemis to Legolas and then back down at her plate, not sure if she was hungry anymore or not.

"I guess I will talk to her after we finish eating."

Artemis gave her a sympathetic look then turned her attention back to her book. Legolas surprised both of them by speaking up and directly to Artemis which he rarely did. It was no secret that he didn't like her much. "Can we speak privately after Adessa goes to see Galadriel?"

Artemis blinked at him surprise plain on her face. "Yes… of course."

Adessa looked at Legolas and rested her hand on his arm, slightly concerned by his need to talk with her alone and by the fact he was talking to her at all. Shaking the thought from her mind, Adessa paced herself to finish the fruit on her plate and then stood up, the pit in her stomach growing slightly.


	21. Chapter 21

Legolas watched as Adessa made her way towards Galadriel's private library, when she was well out of earshot he turned back to Artemis who had closed the book she was reading and was watching him expression unreadable. He took a breath then hesitated unsure where to begin. Artemis gave him a small sympathetic smile. "It's never easy to come out and ask someone to stand aside is it?"

He blinked, surprised that she'd been able to read him so easily and Artemis smiled more broadly. "Oh come on Legolas, I'm human not blind deaf and stupid. You love Adessa, more than love her you're a part of her now. You don't want that to end, gods you can't want it to end, it would be like dieing wouldn't it?"

He slumped a little and nodded. "It would be." He replied and looked at her, blue eyes meeting nearly black. "I… I want you to tell her she doesn't need to go with you when you leave. I want you to tell her she doesn't need to be a part of whatever mission you've been sent here for."

Artemis leaned back in her chair and considered him her eyes boring into his before she spoke again. "If I could I would. If I thought it was just up to me I would let her stay here with you as Adessa or even as Tracey if she suddenly regained her memories. But it's not up to me."

His fist closed on the tabletop and his eyes flashed. "You have power, I have seen it, Gandalf has seen it. You can change the outcome of things. You must."

Artemis didn't react to his outburst, her face was impassive and that made him angrier. "What good is power if you do not use it. What good is your friendship if you would allow us to be parted." He railed against her, against the injustice of it and at some point his hand clamped around her wrist gripping her tight as he tried frantically to talk her into leaving without Adessa.

After several minutes he wound down and seemed to realize that he was squeezing her wrist hard. She hadn't looked away from him, her face showed no fear, or anger or pain and he released her slowly shocked at his own outburst and sat back breathing hard. He knew that after Bonding with Adessa he would be more aggressive for a while but he had shocked even himself. Artemis spoke quietly her voice steady but his ears could detect a quickening of her heart but he was sure it wasn't from fear. "You have had Adessa for a handful of months and this is the pain you feel at the possibility of losing her. Imagine that after years." Her voice caught and she paused then kept going her voice steady again. "I would let her stay, I would do anything I could, anything in my power to let her stay here with you if I thought it was my choice. But it isn't. I do not have the power to stop whatever happens."

She pinned him with her dark eyes and he felt small for the first time, ashamed of his outburst and after a moment she looked away her jaw clenching. "Even if she regains her memory of being Tracey she'll still love you and leaving will break her heart. More than break it if the Bond remains, it will be like she's lost a limb, it will sap her will and drain her spirit and I don't want to see her in that kind of pain. She's my best friend, practically my sister in all but blood. We've helped each other through heartbreak, we started a business together, laughter, tears, hopes and dreams and I do not want to see the light in her soul dimmed by the loss of you." She looked back at him and her eyes were bright. "I do not want her to go through what I am."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

She took a deep breath and blinked rapidly. "Do you remember the story I told in the fire?"

He nodded. "I fell in love with the Hunter. And I had to leave him, with all the things we hoped for, all the things we dreamed of undone. And we were not Bonded."

He considered that for a few minutes while she regained her composure. "I'm sorry." He said finally. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

She understood that he wasn't just talking about her wrist and inclined her head. "I'd rather you didn't tell her. As far as she knows both as Adessa and Tracey I am fine and I want to keep it that way."

"I understand." He replied.

They sat in silence for a moment then Artemis picked up the book and stood, she put a hand on his shoulder surprising him, her touch was gentle and warm as she looked down at him. "Enjoy every minute with her. Cherish it and store every second in your mind and heart because that's what's going to sustain you."

She left him sitting alone as she walked away and he watched her go suddenly understanding her better. He glanced towards the tree where Galadriel's private library sat in the branches and wondered what Galadriel and Adessa were talking about.


	22. Chapter 22

Adessa made her way up the stairs to Galadriel's library and took a deep breath righting her clothes before following an attendant to Lady Galadriel's private library again. Her heartbeat rapidly in her chest and she couldn't get it to stop or even to slow down as they made their way up the stairs, Adessa took another breath before the doors opened and she was allowed to enter, the attendant shut the doors behind her. She stood in the middle of the floor, bowed and waited for Lady Galadriel to speak.

"You wished to see me my Lady?"

Galadriel smiled and motioned to the chairs by the Hearth. "Hello Adessa, please sit down."

She did as she was bidden and took a seat, fluttering her wings a bit so she didn't sit on them and watched Lady Galadriel seat herself gracefully in the seat next to her.

"Artemis said that you might have found a way to restore my memories my Lady." She started, giving Galadriel her undivided attention. "How did you come to your theories?"

Galadriel smiled softly. "I believe it is an injury of the mind. And like any injury it can be healed with the proper energies and herbs. But I need to know if you really want to be healed. I have sensed a reluctance in you, as though you do not truly wish to regain your memories."  
Adessa half nodded and sighed tiredly.

"At first I felt that there must have been a pressing reason for me to suppress my memories to the point that I didn't want to recall any of them, I thought that by knowing who I was and where I came from would give me peace of mind, but my reasons for wanting changed... They changed when I met Legolas and we started to travel together."

She smiled as she remembered all those weeks of adventures and miles she spent with him seeing the different places in Middle Earth, the songs that he taught her, the knowledge he shared with her, and the many laughs and smiles they shared together. It brought a smile to her lips now and then she blinked and looked back at Lady Galadriel.

"I found it didn't matter, that I could be happy starting a new life here with Legolas and nothing would have to change. But then Artemis was dropped into our path and things changed again... I needed to know who I was again, but I was in conflict with my happiness and I couldn't sort it out. I'm still conflicted, but my nightmare last night made me realize that I have to go with her, despite what my heart is telling me to do. To whatever ends that we might behold, the dangers and uncertainties, the world depends on us to fix it. No easy task there if the worlds that Artemis described are as vast and strange as she has led me to believe."

Looking down at her shaking hands, which she had clasped in her lap, Adessa felt the tears welling up in her eyes and an overwhelming want to shed them overcame her but she bit it back. That she would do later in the privacy of her own chambers and she took a deep breath to calm herself again and waited for Lady Galadriel's reply.

Galadriel poured a cup of tea from a delicate porcelain pot an attendant had left and handed her the cup with its warm amber liquid. She poured a cup for herself and sat running her finger along the rim of the cup. "I have had the chance to speak with Gandalf about Artemis and his observation of her. He believes her when she speaks of other worlds and he related to me the story she told in the fire. He also relayed her conviction to accept you as you are with whatever memories or lack therein. I think you have a friend close to kin in that one. I have also asked Gandalf what might have brought you two to Middle Earth and for what reason, and as usual he is irritatingly vague about his thoughts." She seemed to be half talking to herself.

She looked back at Adessa her eyes sharp and a little unnerving. "I can heal your mind but you must be wholly convicted to heal it as well, lingering doubts, stray desires to remain as you are now will prevent the healing and could very likely cause further damage. You might find that you do not even remember being Adessa or the events that have transpired since your arrival."

Adessa felt herself shiver at the intensity of Lady Galadriel's eyes and look down at her tea, handling it in such a way that her cup would warm her hands. She took a sip of the sweet liquid and let it trickle down her throat before meeting Lady Galadriel's eyes again.

"Would there be much a point to delay the inevitable?" She questioned more to herself than of the Lady of the Golden Wood. "It has to be done for all... in all the Worlds."

Getting up from her chair and placing her teacup on the table in between them, Adessa walked to the window and looked out at all the sunlight touched in the forests. Movement below her caught her attention and drew her eyes to Legolas who was speaking to Artemis about things she couldn't hear. Her heart ached and she shook head, tears being forced back again and she turned around to face Lady Galadriel again.

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one." She answered deliberately and nodded. "Then let us begin... Lady Galadriel I, Adessa misplaced Faery in Middle Earth, open my mind to your healing touch and implore you to make haste before my resolve falters to the ruin of all."

Galadriel set her cup aside and rang her tiny bell. Attendants came in bearing trays of bottles and bowls. She deftly mixed herbs and liquids murmuring over the potion in the small silver bowl then handed the mixture to Adessa. "Drink this. She dabbed her fingers in an ointment and smeared it over Adessa's forehead.

When Adessa had finished the bitter potion Galadriel moved behind her and cupped her temples. Power filled Adessa pouring in through Galadriel's hands and she felt the world around her lurching and spinning. Thoughts, memories and images whirled through Adessas mind tearing apart and coalescing until the memories of Tracey and her life moved to the fore an integrated with the memories of Adessa. It all seemed to take an eternity, as quickly done as a blink of an eye but when Galadriel took her hands away the sun had moved several spans to the west and both were shuddering with the strain. Tracey became aware of herself after a few minutes while her heart hammered in her chest.

Her head swam and throbbed painfully and her breathing was slow and shallow. She felt that time seemed to slow as she fell to her knees and there she remained, swaying a little until she sat back on her heels and tried to put things in order. Looking down at her hands, Tracey slowly drew them up until her eyes could focus on them and a slow smile crossed over her lips as she flexed them, making sure they were indeed her. She touched her own cheeks and then ran her fingers to her ear, feeling their points and making a huffing noise that sounded like a dry laugh. The fluttering noise over her shoulders caught her attention and she turned to see her wings.

"It worked..." She said softly, glancing up to Lady Galadriel and smiling wider. "I remember everything, my Lady... Thank you. Without your help I wouldn't be able to do what needs to be done, so I thank you."

She picked herself up from the floor and slowly found her balance again, her wings shifting a little to help her with the balance issue. Bowing respectfully she rubbed her head a little, trying to relieve herself of a throbbing headache but that was to be expected and she wouldn't hold it against Lady Galadriel. Tracey felt her heart give a painful jolt, almost bringing her back to her knees, and clutched the fabric of her shirt just over her heart and let out a painful gasp.

"Legolas?" She whispered, looking from Lady Galadriel to the window. "I must go to him... and Artemis... A thousand thanks again my Lady. If you require anything of me, please name it."

Galadriel inclined her head and gave her a dismissive wave while she shakily poured a cup of tea.


	23. Chapter 23

Artemis turned a corner and found a wall to lean on so she could get her racing heart and unsteady breath under control. Tracey had always thought she wasn't afraid of confrontation and she wasn't, not exactly but her adrenaline always rose, her heartbeat always raced when she was in a tense argument or discussion with someone, even when she knew she was right. She had worked hard to learn to control her voice so it didn't shake, her impulse to lash out when someone was being difficult. She could appear totally calm and in control on the outside but on the inside her adrenaline roared making the blood pound in her ears and her stomach would twist into nervous knots. She didn't immediately notice Gandalf standing a few feet away watching her until he spoke. "In this world you would have been born a Queen of the Rohirrim and the bravery you show would be sung in the Halls of Gondor."

Artemis looked up at him and snorted. "I'd have been born a peasant without a stick to my name, just like I was in my world. Bravery is learned."

He came closer and inclined his head. "Just so. I take it he wanted you to tell Adessa that you do not need her to go with you."

"Oh yeah, as if I could do such a thing, even if it were possible to flout the will of Whatever, Whoever, brought us here if Tracey set her mind to a thing there was no telling her different. I can't imagine she's changed that much as Adessa." Artemis played with the ribbon that stuck out of the book and Gandalf reached over to touch her wrist.

"I wondered what you would do when he grabbed you. The last lout that manhandled you probably still can't walk erect."

Artemis pulled her sleeve down over the darkening bruise. "He's under the influence of the Bonding and his head's not on straight. I'm not going to hurt him for having a broken heart unless he becomes a real threat."

He nodded and pulled out his pipe, he lit it and puffed in contemplation as Artemis's heart finally settled back to its usual rate and she straightened. "I want you to meet someone. I think I know why you were brought here but I won't know for sure until you've met them."

He led her to a rough wooden building similar to the one she was staying in and ducking under the low door frame he stood to the side as she entered and stared at the occupants of three beds. All three were dwarves, two dark haired and one fair haired. Two of them were awake but she could see they were still weak, they looked gaunt, as if healing had used up every reserve they had ever had. The third, a dwarf with long dark hair and a beard to match with silver streaks in his tangled hair lay still. She could smell old sickness on all of them, and a sense that death hovered close to the one still unconscious. The two younger dwarves looked at her curiously then at Gandalf but before they could speak Artemis looked up at Gandalf her eyes hard as steel and jerked her head towards the door before stalking out and waiting arm crossed.

He joined her and closed the door, Artemis made a gesture and he felt a faint pop as a shield of some sort went up, to keep their conversation private he surmised, she really was a lot stronger than he was comfortable with, if she remained she could potentially grow to rival Saruman.

"They are supposed to be dead." She hissed and he was mildly surprised that her hair did not fluff up like an angry cat. "They died during the Battle of Five Armies."

"And yet here they are, alive and recovering." He mused placidly.

"Recovering?!" She snarled then stopped and took a deep breath. "Death is hovering over Thorin like a ghost. Jesus does Tauriel know that Kili is still alive? Do the rest of the dwarves from the Company?"

He puffed his pipe again waiting for her to calm a little more before he answered. "She does not know, nor do any but a few Elves here, Galadriel, Celeborn, myself and now you. And the rest of the Company certainly does not know. I was drawn to the tombs of these three by a magic I did not understand and found them not dead but not precisely alive either. I brought them here for healing and was on my way to Rivendell to consult with Master Elrond when I met you."

Artemis scrubbed her face with her hands muttering something under her breath before she propped a fist on her hip. "Well this explains why we were brought here, if they're alive this throws everything that is supposed to follow out of whack."

"I thought since you seem to know our future that you might understand what best to do about this. Kili and Fili are still too weak to leave their beds and Thorin still lays unconscious but this will not always remain the case. In time they will wish to return to their lives and the elves of Lothlorien will not hold them captive, it is not their way." Gandalf tapped the ashes out of his pipe and refilled it.

Artemis scowled at the ground trying to think her way through this mess, Gandalf waited patiently but after a while Artemis shook her head in frustration. "Dammit, there is no way to fix this so the future isn't impacted, at least no way I'm willing to entertain. We can't just kill them again, they haven't done anything wrong and they didn't ask for this anymore than I asked to be thrown from world to world. And I know Thorin won't consent to stay on the sidelines, he fought too hard to win back Erebor he's not just going to sit by and let someone else rule it. I think Kili would be content to stay with Tauriel but he's so damned honorable that if Kili or Thorin asked he'd join them. I need to think about this for a while."

Gandalf nodded though internally he was relieved that the burden of this was not longer just on himself. He'd been debating whether to tell Artemis for days but it had been Galadriel's comment earlier that day about how Artemis knew more about their destiny than she would say that decided him. Artemis looked back at the door and sighed. "But until I can think of something it would be irresponsible to let Death hover like that over Thorin." She let the shield fall and walked back into the building Gandalf following quickly.

"So… this is our new babysitter?" Fili grumbled when she stood at the end of their beds looking them over.

"Oh you wish." Artemis replied and turned to Thorin's bed running her hands over his chest mere inches above the skin. "I'm trying to figure out how you three are even alive when by rights you should be dead."

"You don't believe in miracles?" Kili asked sitting up a little more to watch her.

She looked over at him and he felt his stomach tighten at the look in her dark eyes, it was a mixture of painful experience and knowledge of things no mortal had any business knowing. "I've seen miracles Kili. And I've seen the meddlings of Gods and Demons and other powers in between. Whatever brought you three back was no miracle."

She turned back to Thorin and began murmuring under her breath leaning in towards him, Gandalf wasn't sure of what she was doing but he could feel her power building in her hands and when she rested them on his chest he felt a jolt, like lightening striking a tree just feet away from him and Thorin's body spasmed. Kili and Fili yelled and tried to get out of bed to protect their King but neither of them had any strength and fell out of the beds to lay on the floor. The power ebbed and she straightened her face pale and drawn. She turned to look at them and then with Gandalf's help she got them back into the beds. "What did you do to him?" Fili demanded.

"Gave him some of my strength." Artemis replied shortly.

Gandalf was examining Thorin and was only a little surprised to see that the dwarf was breath more easily, his heartbeat was stronger and there wasn't the sense that death could reclaim him at any minute. Fili looked skeptical. "How?" He demanded.

Artemis sat down on a chair at the end of the beds her legs shaking, her hands shook when she pressed her palms against her temples, she had a murderous headache now. "How?!" Fili demanded again and Gandalf straightened up and rounded on him.

"Hold your fool tongue Fili. She has traded a year of her life to strengthen his. It is no mean feat and a hard price to pay, especially to a dwarf she has never met. A human's years number fewer than a dwarfs and far fewer than an Elves but neither race could have done as she did. Until she has recovered be silent."

He moved to Artemis and touched her head wincing as he got echoes of the pain she was feeling. He went to the small braiser with its kettle and poured out a measure of strong tea. Reaching into his sleeve he pulled out a packet of powder which he sprinkled in the tea, he'd begun keeping a small packet of powdered Athelas leaf with him. He handed her the tea and she gratefully swallowed every drop despite the bitter taste, she felt some of the pain ebbing away to tolerable levels but she was bone tired. When she spoke her voice was squeezed down but everyone could understand her. "It was the only way to drive death away. He was fading and probably would have been dead by tomorrow morning. I just meant to boost his own reserves but he had none left and there was so much emptiness to fill."

Kili and Fili looked over at Thorin then back at her stunned, Kili recovered first. "Thank you, we know you did not have to do that and we are eternally grateful that you did. Our house is ever at your service, you have only to ask and we will do all in our power to see it happen." He gave an awkward bow still sitting in bed and Fili matched him.

Artemis set the cup down gently and stood steadily. "Gandalf, I am going back to my room to lay down. Can you find me in say three hours? I need to talk to Galadriel as well as you, Legolas and Adessa but I desperately need sleep now."

He nodded. "Of course. You should eat something as well."

She nodded absently and left, leaving the two conscious dwarves and Gandalf watching after her. Kili spoke first. "Who is she?"

Gandalf leaned down and picked up the cup before looking at them. "She sets things right." He replied. "Pray that she can set this to rights before the fabric of Middle Earth unravels itself."

He left as well to some private place he knew to think on all the puzzles Artemis had given him.


	24. Chapter 24

When Tracey got back outside she didn't see Artemis though a quick look around fund Legolas firing arrows at a target. Tracey knew better than to sneak up on Legolas, an exceptional archer and fighter, and he did have amazing hearing so she figured he might have already heard her approach. Beating her wings and slowing her descent until she was hovering over the ground, Tracey didn't immediately call out to him to get his attention. Instead, she looked at Legolas as he took his stance and poised to let loose another arrow at the target. Tracey studied him for a time, memorizing each and every line on his features, his sparkling blue eyes, smooth skin, and physic, loving how the sunlight illuminated his form and the wind picked up his golden blonde hair as he aimed his arrow and judged the distance before letting it go. The arrow sped away like an angry hornet, buzzing through the air before it thudded into the middle of the bull's eye.

"You never cease to amaze me with your skills Legolas." Tracey said with a quiet smile and crossed her arms over her chest, her wings rhythmic beating keeping her suspended off the ground. "You're the greatest archer alive."

He turned and looked at her his eyes lighting up at the sight of her then going wary as he unstrung the bow. "You… aren't Adessa…"

His comment and observation hurt her more than she thought it would and she blinked in surprise, but she shook her head and let out a tired sigh. She should have expected this, especially from him and all his kin, the Elves had always been observant and had insight to almost all of what went on in Middle Earth.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you..." Tracey replied, her heart aching a little more. "It couldn't be helped..."

He set the bow and quiver aside then approached her. His blue eyes seemed to take all of her in and he held out a hand. "I told you nothing would change our Bond. That there had to be a little of Tracey in Adessa. I believe that is still true. Will you allow me to get to know you as Tracey?"

"I would love nothing more than to show you the true Tracey." She said, taking his hand with a smile. "The pleasure would still be mine, my Lord Legolas." She could still feel the Bond that they shared and that was promising and uplifting.

He tugged her towards him one hand lifting to caress the side of her face as he looked into her eyes. He smiled gently as they just looked into each other's eyes allowing the connection to build between them, his fingers were warm and a little rough against her skin from the calluses built over years of practice with the bow. Tracey blinked her hazel eyes slowly, her heartbeat quickened with the touch of his fingers on her skin. She was happy that Legolas would give them a try, even though in a way Adessa was Tracey, just another side of her. Wings ceased their beating and she touched down onto the ground, the bare earth shifting between her toes. The opened and closed behind her as she looked deep into his eyes and after a moment their hearts beat as one again.

"I'm sorry that my talk with Lady Galadriel took as long as it did." She started, touching his hand on her cheek. "I didn't realize it had gotten late in the afternoon. Will you walk with me?"

He laced his fingers through hers and smiled. "Of course. We're near the orchards, they're beautiful this time of day." He led her towards the orchard his hand warm against hers.

As they passed one of the low wooden buildings Tracey thought she heard something but Legolas was leading her away before she could place the sound and they were into the orchard with its towering fruit trees.

Tracey looked back over she shoulder as she was lead away, but pushed it from her mind as she was led away. She smiled when the warm sunlight heated her skin and the fresh air blew back her hair. Legolas was right, the orchards of various fruits were vast and stood twice as tall as she was. She started humming to herself and occasionally looked to her side at Legolas to make sure he was still enjoying himself. He was smiling and that comforted her.

"The air is sweet with the scent of the fruit... I can say I have dreamed of this moment for a long time, but never thought it would ever come true in anything but my dreams and the stories I would write."

They walked the rows and rows of fruit trees talking, relearning each other. It was close to the evening meal time when they made their way back to the main cluster of trees and found Artemis sitting at a table and writing in a leather bound book. She was humming softly while she wrote and looked up to see them approaching a small smile curving her lips. "You two have a knack of getting lost for a day and only coming back for meals."

A slow smile spread over her own lips, and Tracey shook her head. She looked back at Legolas and laughed softly.

"You're not wrong my little firefly, but it's not our fault that we have a deep connection to the earth."

Artemis propped her chin in her hand and considered them for a minute. "You know it sounds really weird for you to call me firefly Tracey. The intonation is all wrong and you never did smile like that as Adessa."

"Adessa is now another part of me and as for firefly, I think it's a fitting name for your hot headed self Artemis." She replied, drawing closer to her chair and putting her hands on both of the chair arms, looking right into Artemis's beautiful brown eyes. "If you ever freeze Legolas again, I will light your butt up like a friggin' christmas tree... magic or no."

She had to laugh at her playful threat and plucked some bread from the plate in front of Artemis.

"That's all mine."

Artemis flicked a finger and the bread squirmed and jumped out of her hand scampering away. "Well as long as he doesn't point arrows at me again we'll be fine. You guys ok?"

"Legolas and I have been getting reaquainted and I believe this experience has made us stronger with our Bond." Tracey replied, turning her attention away from Artemis and instead looked at the bread with a raised eyebrow. "Excuse me, I was eating that and the day I let you take food from my mouth will be the day I decide to stop breathing."

She flicked her own hand out to the bread and beckoned it back to her, making it soar through the air and onto her plate which she held out to it.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food? Or more importantly still, MY food?"

Tracey sliced some cheese, laid it upon the bread and consumed happily. Levitating the teapot, she made flowing motions with her hands and wrists, causing the hot brew to pour itself into her cup and then poured one for Legolas. She had been practicing with her air abilities all afternoon, figuring that she might be able to control the elements again, but like Artemis had said, she'd never know until she tried and saw if something stuck with her.

"How are you doing?"

Artemis closed the journal and leaned back in her chair crossing her legs. "I'm doing alright. I was worried about you but since you seem to be doing fine I'll turn my attentions to other matters. After you've eaten we need to go see Galadriel and Gandalf."

She looked over at Legolas her eyes searching and he raised a pale eyebrow at her. She smiled a little and inclined her head to one side before standing. "Don't take too long you two. This is important." She turned holding her journal and headed towards Galadriel's private library.

Legolas watched her go a puzzled frown on his face. She makes less sense the longer I know her." He commented.

"That is Artemis for you. She has vast knowledge but it takes time to understand her and gain the ability to read between the lines." Tracey replied, giving Legolas's hand a soft squeeze before her attention was turned to her own food. "I wonder what would need to be discussed now... and I do hope Lady Galadriel is feeling rested, it did take a toll on her to bring back all my memories."

When they made their way up to the library Artemis was flipping through a book that she stuck back in its place when Tracey and Legolas arrived. Gandalf was talking quietly to Galadriel who looked rested. Artemis smiled then sobered when the door was closed. "I know why we were brought here." She announced and sat down. "Thorin, Kili and Fili are alive. Brought back to life by an outside force."

Tracey nearly tripped over her own feet as she and Legolas walked to the center of the room and she shook her head in disbelief. Her wings beat several times to help her right herself and a look of utter confusion passed over her facial features.

"That's next to impossible! What force could possibly bring them back?!" She questioned, her look passing between Gandalf, Lady Galadriel and Artemis again. "Why were they brought back?"

Artemis picked at the hem of her shirt while she spoke, a gesture Tracey knew meant she was anxious or unsure. "I think they were brought back to alter the course of the future here on Middle Earth. You had a nightmare last night, a dream of two Forces battling in a place that looked a lot like hell. I think one of those Forces brought the dwarves back for reasons I really don't understand but it could unleash chaos here on Middle Earth." She looked at Galadriel who inclined her head silently telling her to go on so Artemis hurried on. "Think about it, if Thorin recovers, and he will since I used my own life force to stabilize him until a decision can be reached, he will want to take over the rule of Erebor and everything that we," She motioned at herself and Tracey. "Know will come to pass will change. Maybe only a little but it could be enough to let certain forces prevail. If Torin doesn't recover then Kili or Fili will and they'll want to take their rightful place as ruler of Erebor and we're in the same situation. It's such a small change that it almost wouldn't be noticed by anyone but us."

"So what would you have us do?" Legolas asked sitting beside Tracey holding her hand. "We cannot kill them, such a foul deed is unthinkable."

"And we cannot hold them captive here." Galadriel added.

Holding onto Legolas's hand in return, Tracey's look of confusion turned to one of deep thought and for a few minutes there was silence. Her head bobbed in one direction and then in another, a motion she made whenever she was considering the pros and cons of the thoughts that ran through her head. Several ideas came to mind, but each one seemed a little more farfetched than the last.

"After bringing them back, it would be stupid to dispatch them now. But you're both right, we won't even consider killing them and holding them captive is out of the question, but I wonder if taking their memories be just as troublesome as they are putting them back?" She asked rhetorically. "We can't have them returning to Erebor, that would put everyone there into a panic... too much confusion and too many questions would be asked... What if we brought them to the Gray Havens? Put them on a ship to cross the oceans with the Elves again?"

In theory it was a good plan. By sending them away only a few details would be altered, but the rest would remain the same and then the Fellowship could start their travels to help the ring-bearer on his journey. That would surely be something to witness the beginnings of that quest.

Galadriel shook her head. "They must consent to the voyage and Thorin would never do such a thing."

Artemis picked at her hem until a thread came loose and she started worrying at it. "I don't know what to do yet but this has to be why we were brought here. We have a few weeks at least before Thorin, Kili and Fili are anywhere near strong enough to go anywhere. It might be best to contact Elrond and get his opinion, maybe Saruman's as well. There's too much at stake here to take foolish risks."

She looked at Tracey and Tracey suddenly saw the signs of strain and worry on Artemis's face. It occurred to her that no other adventure they'd had to date had such high risks. An entire world was in the balance and the strain of it was showing on Artemis's face and in her nervous unraveling of her hem. This was quite a situation they had found themselves in and Tracey was sure it would be their most difficult task yet. She had yet to figure out any loopholes that they could wiggle through to make this easier and at the moment she was stumped. A sudden thought occurred to her and she looked to the window and made a noise under her breath and shook her head. The noises that she had heard from the low building she and Legolas passed on their walk to the orchard was where the Dwarves were being housed.

"I think we should consider Lord Elrond's counsel and see what he has to say. In the meantime we'll tend to the Dwarves as best we can and hopefully they will see reason... save us from the stubbornness of Dwarves." Tracey answered, tapping her chin thoughtfully with her fingers. 'We should avoid Saruman at all costs, he's a traitor to all.'

Artemis shot her a meaningful look and it occurred to Tracey that Artemis had suggested Saruman to maintain the timeline. Gandalf was watching them his eyes narrowed in thought and Artemis smoothed her fingers over the hem making a conscious effort to stop fidgeting. Galadriel watched both Tracey and Artemis before she spoke. "I will send our fastest messenger to Lord Elrond and seek his opinion. In the meantime the Solstice festival will begin the day after tomorrow. It is our honor to welcome you all for the celebration."

"It will be our honor to accept." Tracey said happily, clapping her hands and smiling. "Until we receive word from Lord Elrond or come up with something ourselves, we might as well take this opportunity to enjoy the upcoming festivities at our leisure."

She stood up and fluttered her wings out a bit to make sure they didn't wrinkle and stretched upward. Looking at Artemis she nodded in understanding and wouldn't say anything more that might upset the timeline and smoothed her hair back behind her pointed ears.

"I'm going to meet the Dwarves and bring them some dinner... their bandages should probably be changed too so if anyone needs me I will be with them for a time. Lady Galadriel if there is anything that Artemis and I can do to help with the preparations for the festival than you have but to ask of us and it shall be done."

"Hey! Don't volunteer me!" Artemis yelped and bounced up poking Tracey with a finger and grinning. "And the dwarves don't have bandages to change, you just want to get a chance to meet them." She turned and gave Galadriel a small bow. "I'll take her to meet the dwarves, this should be fun, meeting someone who can out stubborn her." She hooked a thumb at Tracey and grinned again.

Galadriel looked a little surprised at the energy they both seemed to exude as Artemis nudged her friend out the door leaving Legolas and Gandalf watching after them. Gandalf was smiling slightly but Legolas looked thoughtful. Galadriel mused privately that it was no easy thing to have to learn your beloved all over again. Gandalf chuckled and lit his pipe. "I've always found the race of Man to be a resilient and delightful people. The Solstice Festival is sure to be unusual this year."


	25. Chapter 25

Artemis led Tracey to the low building and stopped her just before the door. "Ok, I don't know if Thorin is going to be conscious or not but they're all very weak, whatever brought them back didn't seem able to bring them back totally whole."

"Kinda reminds me of Jonah Hex type deal no?" Tracey pointed out with a half smile. "Hopefully they will be conscious enough to at least eat a little. I did pack some soft foods for them and tea as well so hopefully they'll have a little appetite."

She shifted the basket in her arms. Right before she and Artemis left the main lodgings, they had visited the cooks in their kitchen and snagged a few choice items of the normal kind. Broth, tea, cheese, bread, and fresh fruit from the orchards. Tracey was a little giddy to meet the Dwarves, but she held back her excitement and allowed her wings to flutter instead, taking her off the ground a little ways before she realized what was going on. She smiled a little sheepishly and landed again. Artemis rolled her eyes and smiled before she opened the door and walked into the building. She moved so Tracey could enter as well then shut the door and surveyed the dwarves who were staring at Tracey. Thorin was awake and looking generally pissed off about his physical condition but Kili and Fili had dopey smiles on their faces at the sight of Tracey's wings.

"Kili, Fili and Thorin, meet Tracey." Artemis said moving to look at Thorin more closely.

"What is she?" Thorin asked shortly and Artemis raised an eyebrow at him.

"My friend." She replied a little acerbically.

Tracey saw that all three dwarves were gaunt and looked haggard but Kili and Fili's eyes were bright and they at least looked rested. Thorin looked sick and his hands shook where they lay on the thick fur covering his legs.

"Just as gruff and ill-mannered as I expected you to be Lord Thorin, but I guess it couldn't be helped." Tracey answered, shuffling her wings in slight irritation and put the basket down on the table. "The pleasure is mine, Kili and Fili. I hope you're hungry, unfortunately there isn't any meat but there are other things to eat."

She opened the basket and started to pull out the edibles. Going to the cabinet, she took down plates and placed a little of everything on them before carrying them to each of the Dwarves in turn, smiling kindly to Fili and Kili. Tracey plucked three cups from the cabinet upon her return and unstoppered a flask from the basket as well. Pouring the hot liquid into the tea cups, she took a small pouch from the basket and divided it into each of the cups before stirring in a spoonful of golden honey.

"This will help you regain your strength a little faster and with a little more rest you all could be back on our feet." She said with another smile and directed the cups away from her with a flick of her wrist in a dismissive manner.

The teacups floated off the table and floated before the Dwarves. Tracey couldn't help but tilt her head to study them in silence, her wings opening and closing behind her while she sat on the table.

Artemis smiled slightly watching them eat with a ravenous appetite. "I'll have to find them some meat." She mused to herself. "It's the best thing for rebuilding muscle mass."

Thorin was watching Artemis a strange look on his face. "I understand I have you to thank for my retrieval from death."

Artemis snorted. "No. I didn't bring any of you back to life. I just kept death from reclaiming you Thorin."

"So we were dead?" Kili asked looking a little queasy.

"Oh yeah. Very dead. Make no mistake you three, your sudden return to life was a stunning surprise to Gandalf. And it poses some very concerning problems." Artemis sat next to a table and set her journal down and drumming her fingernails on the dark leather.

"Eat while you think about your situation, you won't recover if you can't do both." Tracey said, pointing to their plates that rested in their laps. "It has us all stumped, but Artemis and I are really good at solving riddles and problems of this nature... this one is just a little more of a challenge."

She stretched upward until she felt her shoulders pop and smiled in satisfaction. "It's a lot to take in, that we can understand."

Kili and Fili were gladly stuffing their faces. Thorin was more reticent disliking being told to do anything but he too had to acknowledge the wisdom in eating. Artemis had flipped open her journal and was reading an entry she'd made. "The conundrum goes deeper than just your resurrection. Tracey and I are not of Middle Earth, we were brought here by a Force we don't understand because you three are supposed to be dead. Your being alive is going to damage the course of future events and could quite possibly spell the end of Middle Earth."

Kili and Fili stopped eating and stared at her, Thorin set his fork and empty plate aside and folded his arms. "And what exactly do you think we should do to set things right? I think you will find us harder to kill than you might expect."

Artemis barked out a laugh. "With all of you weak as kittens I could kill you with one arm tied behind my back. No, no;" She held up a hand to forestall their protests. "I don't mean to kill you. We'd like you three to considering crossing the sea to Gray Haven."

Tracey pushed her black hair out of her face and rolled her eyes, muttering some things in the Elvish tongue before shaking her head and pointing to their tea cups that they had already drank from.

"Firstly what would be the point of killing you when we're trying to help you? And secondly the pouch I put in your tea could have been poison and you would never have known it. You drank the tea without a second thought as to what could be in it, from a creature you know nothing about... Perhaps Balin was right..." Tracey started crossing her arms under her chest. "Perhaps not the brightest... But that's beside our point, we're not here to kill you three, actively trying to avoid it as a matter of fact. We don't take pleasure in that sort of thing."

Her wings fluttered a bit more until she could cross her legs and lean back on her hands.

"We're trying to come up with other answers... your assistance in finding a solution would be helpful and unfortunately returning to Erebor isn't an option."

Thorin's face turned an interesting shade of red and she could see his jaw tightening. Kili and Fili started yelling at first in the dwarven tongue then in common demanding to know why they couldn't return to a home they'd fought for. Artemis rubbed her temples and Tracey saw her shadow doing something strange. It was expanding just like Gandalf's did sometimes. "Well this wasn't quite the way I wanted my first meeting to be like... but hey I don't think it would go any other way." She muttered to herself, not getting as riled up as Artemis was. "Firefly, take a breath and you three should take a breather before things get worse."

She pointed to the darkening room as Artemis's form grew and seemed to make the room shrink. Tracey looked at the lanterns around on the walls and outstretched her hand to it. Just as her fingers brushed over the space before them they went out and the room was doused in darkness. Taking a deep breath, Tracey opened her hand to reveal the flames in her hand, illuminating the room again.

"Allow us to explain as much as we can and wait until we've finished before asking any questions."

Artemis took a deep breath and the darkness faded back. She gestured and the lamps relit showing the dwarves staring at her open mouthed. "I thought Gandalf said there were only 7 Wizards. He never mentioned a female wizard." Fili said, his voice squeezed down.

Artemis gave a tight smile. "I'm one of a kind. And like Gandalf my patience is in short supply."

Thorin had managed to get halfway out of bed before he ran out of strength. "We will try to remember that. Now why can we not return to Erebor as is our right?"

Artemis motioned for Tracey to answer him as she poured herself a cup of tea. Letting go of the flames by closing her fingers around them again, Tracey gently brought her hands together and made a lifting motion. Invisible strands of air seemed to pick Thorin up and gently deposit him back in his bed, turning down the covers until he was comfortable again and drawing them up over his legs.

"All the Dwarves from your company and Bilbo think you three are dead. They have grieved and your royal lineage has passed on to the next king under the mountain. To go back now... the results wouldn't be unfavorable." Tracey replied softly. "I'm sorry. Please try to understand, if there was a way for you all to return to Erebor than we would send you on your way as soon as you were ready to travel, but it isn't possible."

Digging around in the basket again, Tracey produced some fine pastries and levitated them to Kili, Fili, and Thorin before taking one for herself and setting the plate of them down beside the tea flask for later consumption.

Artemis raised an eyebrow at her use of power but kept her comments to herself. She looked at the three dwarves. "Tracey and I come from a world where all this;" She motioned in an all encompassing motion. "Has already happened. We've seen the history of Middle Earth in nearly its entirety. And you three died at the Battle of Five Armies. Future events cannot unfold as they must with you ruling Erebor Thorin."

He scowled down at his hands as they trembled on his lap before he clenched them into fists. "Then the future will need to be rewritten because I am going to take my rightful place."

Artemis sighed. "Stubborn, mule headed…" She ran her hands through her hair before looking at Kili and Fili. "And what of you two. You have as much a choice in all this as he does."

Kili and Fili looked at each other and she saw something pass between them, much the same way she and Tracey could communicate without words. Kili spoke slowly and without looking at his uncle. "I left someone I care deeply for when I died." He winced when he said the word 'died'. "I… would like the chance to be with her if she would have me… if it will not upset the future."

Thorin started to protest and Artemis pointed a finger at him her eyes black steel. "You will keep silent Thorin Oakenshield or so help me…" She trailed off and let his own mind supply the threat.

She looked at Kili her face gentle and her eyes understanding. "So far as I know Tauriel is not integral to the future of Middle Earth so it should be safe."

Fili avoided his Uncles angry stare. "I don't have anyone that I left behind… I devoted my life to my Uncles quest, and I would follow him wherever he chose to go." He hesitated and glanced at Thorin then back at Artemis and Tracey. "I will go where he does." He finished and Artemis sighed and nodded.

"Very well. None of you are well enough to go anywhere any time soon so no decisions need to be made." She got up and went to Kili putting a hand on his shoulder and Thorin was shocked by the gentleness in her face. "Do you want me to send a message to Tauriel that she should come to Lothlorien?"

Kili swallowed hope blooming in his eyes and he reached up to grip her hand. "You would do that?"

Artemis smiled and looked over at Tracey for a second then back at Kili. "Love is precious. You deserve a chance to have it, even if it's only for a little while."

He kissed the back of her hand surprising her and Tracey. "Please, I want to see her again."

Artemis patted his hand and stepped back then looked at Thorin. "I'm not going to hammer at you. Neither of us will but I want you to think about something. If you change the future are you willing to accept all the lives that you will have changed just to satisfy your pride? Are you willing to accept all the death and loss of love, of family, of potential because you just have to be King? Because it's not just your life in the balance anymore, it never was but it's even less so now."

She motioned for Tracey to follow her out of the building and closed the door gently when Tracey stood outside with her. She rubbed her forehead and slung an arm around Tracey. "Please tell me I'm not making a huge mistake."

Patting her arm, Tracey's wings fluttered a little bit before she spoke, shaking her head.

"You aren't making a mistake here my precious firefly." Tracey replied, rubbing her arm. "You have given them much to think about and I hope they will make the right choice and do what is best for the future of Middle Earth, like I have done for our reality..."

Looking at Kili through the window and smiled kindly at him.

"I will deliver the message to Tauriel myself if it will help them to come to a final verdict. But there is no need for haste, there is a festival to enjoy and I believe that through all our travels that things that we have seen and done, WE deserve a chance to relax."

Artemis smiled and glanced back through the window too. "Hark, what is this? You saying we don't need to rush? Ms. Live life in the fast lane." She teased and started walking away from the building.

"How much faster can two women go through to worlds which are not their own?" Tracey questioned in return, poking Artemis in the side. "Every time we pass through a portal to a new place, my head swims and I would like to enjoy my time here a little bit longer... who knows when we'll get this chance again..."

She turned her face to look at all the Woods around them and swept her hand out to everything they saw in front of them.

"If I could I would live here... with Legolas forever. We should enjoy this peace before we go to another world to fix it, don't you agree?"

Artemis smiled and tucked her hands into her pockets and looked around. "Yeah, we should. I wonder if I can get an elf to play kissy face with me?"

Tracey laughed and shook her head. Fluttering her wings lightly, she started to hovered a few inches off the ground and then looked to the gardens. She gave Artemis a smile, gave her a hug and whispered in her ear.

"I'm pretty sure you could my sweet, but it wouldn't be the same and you know it... Rest well, I'm going to fly around a little bit and hang out in the gardens for a while." She said softly, pushing back her hair and sighing lightly. "I think gardening has been something Adessa has encouraged that side of me, just another side of me to get used to. Even if it isn't light enough to do anything productive tonight, I can still enjoy their scents. Good night Artemis, rest well and may you have pleasant dreams."

Artemis watched her go her eyes contemplative, she knew Tracey was right of course and she hadn't been serious about paying kissy face with an elf, she still felt a little guilty about kissing Raph but she'd been so hurt, so desperate to ease the pain of having to leave Iolaus and Raph hadn't asked for love, just physical affection. She looked at the journal tucked under her arm and sighed before heading back to her quarters. She had a letter to write.


	26. Chapter 26

The Festival wasn't the bright cacophony Artemis would have liked but the food was wonderful, the drinks plentiful and the music danceable. Tracey was dancing with Legolas while Gandalf managed to keep up with Galadriel as they whirled and twisted through the other elven couples. Artemis was sitting at a table drinking and watching the dancing her foot tapping to the beat. The music was lively and laughter was in the air. All present for the festivities clapped their hands and stamped their feet to the beat. Tracey kept up her pace with the music and all the excitement made her cheeks flush and heat rise to her face as she danced with Legolas. She laughed and smiled as they passed from one dance to another, but she did notice after some time that Artemis was staying at the table. Shaking her head, she knew that she was going to have to rectify this and with a quick smile to Legolas the music ended and they stepped off the dance floor.

"Oh no no no, this won't do." Tracey said, taking Artemis's hand and forcefully pulling her to her feet. "I'm not letting you sit on your butt all night and not dance with me."

Tracey wasn't going to take no for an answer and laughed while the next song started and she spun Artemis around in a circle and standing off to her side. She started out slowly with her feet and directed her to follow suit until she got it and by that time he rest of the She-Elves had joined them. The other Elves clapped as they danced and Tracey looked over at Artemis to make sure she was enjoying herself too. Artemis was grinning, eyes sparkling as she danced with Tracey then the song changed and more Elves hurried onto the floor. Soon Artemis was being passed from one dancer to the next only briefly intersecting with Tracey while they danced. Once the song stopped Artemis skipped off the dance floor to take a drink of wine. Tracey was not surprised to see a handful of the younger elves cluster around her asking her to dance. She joined them for the next few sets then took a break standing next to Gandalf while she caught her breath. Tracey had more stamina and could keep up with the Elves but Artemis was feeling winded, Gandalf smiled down at her and patted her shoulder. "It's a wondrous thing to watch isn't it?"

Artemis smiled. "And even better to participate in."

He chuckled then sobered a little. "The dwarves are recovering rapidly. We will have to make a decision about them soon."

She nodded and waved at Tracey as she whirled by. "I'll join you for the next set!" She called then glanced sidelong at Gandalf. "I know Kili at least won't be any trouble, especially if that letter I sent Tauriel gets her here in a hurry. Thorin is another matter. Have you heard from Elrond yet?"

He shook his head. "Not yet. Never fear, I will keep the dwarves here by force if need be, it might not be the elves way, but I have no such limitations."

Artemis nodded. "I understand."

The song ended and another began and Artemis grinned at him and jumped into the dance snatching Tracey from Legolas with a laugh. "I had her first!" She teased and twirled Tracey away.

Tracey quickly blew Legolas a kiss before she completely lost sight of him and laughed whole-heartily as she and Artemis twirled and danced arm in arm on the dance floor. It was a very merry festival and she felt her spirits lifted with the music as it continued. She clapped her hands as she and Artemis danced and other times joined hands with other Elves as they switched partners and continued. After two or three more songs, Tracey left the floor laughing, hand over her stomach as she laughed and smiled happily. Her feet were starting to tire and so she put her wings to work, hovering over the floor and making sure she had a wide circle around her so she didn't accidentally blow someone over. She acquired a cup of water and then plopped herself in a chair, sipping on the water until she could get her second wind and then she'd go in for another bout of songs.

"Lady Galadriel certainly knows how to throw a festival." She mused quietly, watching the rest of the proceedings for a time with a smile on her lips.

Artemis sat next to her breathing hard. "She does at that."

She sipped from a glass of wine then looked at Tracey. "So… It looks like we'll be here a while longer and even though the dwarves are recovering they still have a way to go. I was thinking of taking them out into the woods one at a time. Get them out of that room and maybe do some hunting. If Fili has to eat one more salad I think he might do something violent."

Tracey laughed and clapped her hands, knowing that Artemis was right and that she could relate to how they were probably feeling. Back in their world it wasn't uncommon for Tracey to start her workday at 7 am and then finish her work day at around 6 or 7 pm, but that was just the beginning for her. As soon as she got home, she would pull some crafting projects together and then hunker down in her nesting area and start working until well into the night, then repeat it all over again until there was a convention that they had to be in. This cycle would be repeated for weeks and months at a time, where she didn't leave the apartment and this always concerned Artemis, but Tracey didn't seem to mind, though it wasn't really healthy.

"I'll take them out fishing or try to find some rabbit when they're ready so at least they can have some type of protein." She said with a laugh and placed her cup on the table. "You could make up some rabbit stew of something tasty and put that together with some bread, cheese, fruit and other pastries... Mmm that sounds so good!"

Tracey couldn't help but laugh again and then she got a sudden idea. Standing up, she started to collect plates, cups, a flask of wine, and selected several different foods from the table, including some dessert. These she put on a large tray and then placed a cloth over it all to keep it fresh. Looking up at Artemis, she smiled figuring that she had been watching her the entire time.

"What?" She asked, shaking her head and stepping closer to whisper in her ear. "Just because they're bedridden doesn't mean they can't at least enjoy the festivities too. Besides, think of this as a slight peace offering for the disagreement we had a night or two ago."

Artemis smiled. "I'll stay here so people don't go looking for us."

When Tracey got to the low building she could hear Kili and Fili talking in low voices about Kili's decision to follow Artemis and Tracey's plan. Thorin was oddly silent but it didn't worry Tracey much, he was a taciturn soul who seemed to save his words. When she opened the door all three were sitting up in bed, Kili and Fili had pipes out and Thorin sat staring into the shadows as if they held the secrets of the world.

Tracey fluttered her wings a bit after she closed the door behind her, folding them behind her back so she didn't take up quite as much room with them open. She gave each of them a kind smile and placed her tray on the table, pulling off the cloth that covered their food.

"Good evening, my friends. I trust that you are resting well." Tracey said, waving her hand over the three plates and causing them to levitate to them while she popped the top off the flask of wine and poured the three cups for them. "Hopefully you won't have to be resting for too much longer for Artemis has been thinking of something for you all can do while you're still recovering, but please eat first and then we'll talk more."

She delivered the wine to each Dwarf and then sat down in a chair, her fingers folded in her lap and eyes blinking lazily as she regarded each of them while they ate. Kili seemed relieved at the interruption and Fili looked curious. "What did you have in mind?" He asked after he'd swallowed a pastry whole.

Thorin looked a little curious as well as he picked at his own food. "Nothing too strenuous I can assure you of that." Tracey answered, a small smile playing on her lips. "Artemis suggested taking you out of the Woods for a while, as you regain your strength of course. I think the first leisurely activity could be hunting for rabbits, I know Artemis makes a mean rabbit stew or perhaps fishing... unless that would be too stressful. I wouldn't know because I've never been fishing before." She shrugged her shoulders and tilted her head to the side.

Thorin made a disgruntled noise but Kili grinned. "Fishing! I haven't been fishing in years."

Fili grinned. "Not since Nerris pushed you into the lake when you told her her eyebrows were too thin."

Kili laughed. "She'd plucked them down to pencil lines, they were too thin."

Thorin shook his head. "You talk of the past when our future is so uncertain."

Tracey's hazel eyes turned to Thorin and she raised an thin eyebrow at him, shaking her head. She pushed some hair out of face and back behind her pointed ears, sighing while she did so.

"At least the past can hold some comfort." She replied, resting her elbow on the chair and her chin on her palm. "And women prefer to be told they're pretty, unless they ask you to be honest Kili and then you should only tell them a half truth or at least warn them that they may not like the answer they receive."

Fili laughed harder. "He never did get the hang of compliments but that was the only time his honesty got him dunked in a lake."

Kili grinned and tossed the hard rind of the cheese he'd been eating at Fili. Tracey giggled lightly at the mental image her mind had brought forth of the Dwarf being pushed into a lake by a similarly built Dwarf female.

"Then it is settled." Tracey said quietly, rising to her feet again and fluttering her wings a bit to smooth them out. "Perhaps tomorrow morning, say just before noonday, I will take Kili fishing and then we shall proceed in shifts. That way no one will be left out and everyone will get some fresh air. Does anyone have any objections?"

She didn't expected Kili or Fili to voice any negative thoughts, but Thorin might, but she really wouldn't care if he did or not.

"Why shifts?" Fili asked setting his now empty plate aside.

Tracey looked back at him and leaned against the frame of the door so she could regard him, her arms crossed under her chest as she explained.

"There are only a select few Elves that know you're here in the Wood, including myself, Artemis and Gandalf... Oh and Tauriel too, Artemis sent a letter to her so she should be making an appearance soon." She said, giving him a smile. "We don't want to influence the future too much so the fewer who know that you're alive the better it is for everyone in the long run."

Thorin made a disgusted sound. "You claim to know the future and do nothing to stop any atrocities. You think to deprive me of my rightful place with no proof that you know what you claim to. You are a fraud."

The silence in the room suddenly became thick and eerie, to the point where it could be cut with a sharp knife. At first Tracey didn't register what he had said and then it hit home and her temper flared, worse than it had in Ancient Greece when Hercules had suggested that Artemis would take lives needlessly just because she had the power to if she wanted. Tracey's wings jutted out and made her look taller and more intimidating. She was standing with her feet evenly beneath her and hands clenched into fists until her knuckles turned white from her anger. Her eyes suddenly blazed and turned completely black, the lantern light flickered dangerously and grew brighter every moment.

"You speak of things you know nothing about, stubborn Dwarf." She seethed through clenched teeth, her voice low and clear so nothing she said could be missed by any of them. "You think of no one but yourself and that is why you were so easily subdued by the accursed gold like your grandfather. You saw it consume him and did nothing to stop it, it destroyed your kin and corrupted them to the point they could no longer be helped."

She could see his face contort in anger and he opened his mouth to snap back at her, but she drew her hand back toward herself and the air was sucked from his mouth, causing him to cough and gasp fitfully.

"I haven't finished speaking and you will hold your tongue until I am finished." Tracey barked, her tone growing colder. "I didn't ask to be sent from one World to another to fix the mistakes of a higher being whom Artemis and I know nothing about. Like you, we shouldn't meddle with the future because for every action there is an opposite and greater reaction. By trying to avoid a disaster or stop it completely the consequence could rip apart the world as we know it. Artemis and I don't even know what affect our being here could have on this world, but let me make something perfectly clear to you... I have sacrificed too much as it is to be slandered by a pretentious Dwarf, who owes his very life to Artemis, one of the other people you call a fraud. You should be humbled, even grateful that we're here trying to help at all."

The silence stretched on for what seemed like a short eternity before Kili spoke his voice tiny in the tense silence. "Thank you, for making us understand why we must be circumspect. I'm sure my Uncle will think before he makes such… unfounded accusations. I think it must be the confinement. We are not used to being bedridden and it seems to have made him... intemperate."

Fili let out a breath he wasn't even fully aware he'd been holding. "We'll be sure to thank Artemis when we see her again."

Thorin's jaws seemed to have been glued shut by Traceys diatribe and a tap on the glass startled them all. Artemis was trying to get racey's attention without being too obvious. "I accept your apology." Tracey replied after a moment and let out a sigh, folding her wings again and letting go of the power she had been holding onto till her eyes returned to their normal Hazel color. "Rest now, I'll come back tomorrow before noonday."

She turned on her heel and left, shutting the door behind her before looking at Artemis.

"Sorry my sweet, I didn't mean to take so long."

Artemis gave her a quizzical look and inclined her head towards the festival where Lord Elrond was greeting Galadriel. Arwen was standing beside him. "I thought you might want to say hi to Arwen."

"They came all the way from Rivendell?!" Tracey asked, a smile returning to her face at the mention of her best Elven friend. "What are we waiting for?! Come on Artemis!"

Grabbing her hand, Tracey tried everything in her power to make Artemis walk faster, even trying to lift her into the air, but unfortunately that didn't work. She couldn't even lift her off the ground till she was just standing on her tiptoes, though it was a sight to see. Tracey laughed and joined the festivities, giving Lord Elrond a bow before taking Arwen's hands in her own and greeting her happily. She asked her about her trip and wanted to know how she fared on it when all of a sudden her eyes grew wide as if she just remembered something she had forgotten to do.

"I can't believe it, I forgot to give your mother the bundle you gave me back in the gardens?!" Tracey said quickly and sighed, her expression turned to one of dismay. "I can't believe I forgot! Please forgive me!"

Arwen laughed and hugged her. "If all I have heard is true I am not surprised. Bonding to Legolas, regaining your memories and finding your sister. All of that would drive my bundle from my mind too. Do you still have it?"

"Of course I do." Tracey said with a smile and hugged her back. "It's still in my saddlebags in our room. Shall I get it now or wait till the festivities are concluded for the night?"

She felt like an idiot for forgetting Arwen's request but it really couldn't have been helped.

"Oh it can wait, it's waited this long, a few hours more is trivial." Arwen smiled and looked over Tracey's shoulder. "Is that your sister?"

When Tracey looked over her shoulder she saw Artemis talking to one of Elrond's attendants who seemed to be enamoured of the tall woman with her striking hair and features. "Artemis and I share a very strong bond as if we were sisters." Tracey replied and nodded. "Allow me to introduce you to her, I think you'll like her alot."

Tracey led Arwen away from her father and his company to bring her to Artemis and introductions were exchanged.

"Artemis, this is Lady Arwen, Arwen, Artemis."

Artemis turned and smiled. "Nice to meet you Arwen. Tracey has told me about how close you two got while she was in Rivendell. Thanks for keeping an eye on her while we were separated."

Arwen smiled at Artemis. "It was a pleasure, though I do wonder why you and she were separated in the first place."

Artemis shrugged. "The capriciousness of magic."

"So it is true, you are a Wizard like Mithrandir?" Arwen's voice was pleased and excited.

"What did Gandalf put in that letter?" Artemis asked looking a little surprised.

"Well he rarely keeps things from my father so I do believe he told all." Arwen replied.

Tracey blinked and nodded, figuring that Arwen also knew about the Dwarves, but she wouldn't say anything about them unless Arwen brought it up.

"I've only seen a few minor bits of magic from Artemis, she is quite powerful in her own right. I wouldn't mind learning a few things from her, I've always been open minded in that regard." She said with a smile. "Would you like me to get you something to drink Arwen?"

Before she could answer Elrond walked over and gave them a short bow. "Lady Tracey, I am pleased that you were able to regain your memory."

"My Lord Elrond, it's a pleasure to see you again." Tracey replied, giving him a curtsy in return. "I'm also glad to have my memories back, though I couldn't make up my mind if I really wanted them back or not. Other outside elements became the encouragement I needed to strengthen my resolve to regain my memories. Perhaps now I can be a little bit more of a help to our problem."

She straightened and swept a hand out to her side and redirected his attention to Artemis.

"This is Artemis, she was the one my dreams were showing me about. I had to seek her out and then we ended up meeting again on the road to Lothlorien, Gandalf was with her too."

Elrond gave Artemis a considering look and she returned it calmly her dark eyes meeting his. He held out a hand and she laid her fingers in his as he gave a slight bow over her hand. "I see danger in your eyes and steel in your heart. You walk a dangerous road and I cannot see it's destination."

Artemis gave a slight smile and took her hand back. "Those of us who practice the Art do not even know where our road will take us, to practice the Art is to surrender one's destiny to winds of change and chance."

"Just so. I hope you will be cautious for those you carry alongside you." Elrond mused.

Artemis glanced at Tracey and then back at Elrond. "She knows the dangers and walks beside me of her own will."

Arwen looked a little confused as her father nodded and turned back to Tracey. "Lady Tracey, I was wondering if you would be willing to walk with me for a time?"

"Of course my Lord, it would be my pleasure." Tracey replied, giving Arwen a smile and patting her hand reassuringly. "Set your mind at ease Lady Arwen, please enjoy the festivities and be merry. I will return with the bundle on my person after I talk with your father for a time."

Draping her hand gently over Lord Elrond's as he presented it to her, Tracey let Lord Elrond lead her away from the festival. All the while she had a growing nagging feeling in her stomach that their conversation was going to be a serious one. It reminded her of the same feelings she would get at work too, the one where her boss wanted to see her for some reason, but she couldn't tell if she was in trouble for something or not. There was never a positive way to say 'hey, we need to talk to you' without thinking that one was in trouble for something. So until Lord Elrond reassured her that all was well, Tracey could only assume that he was about to unleash some 'doom and gloom' on her.

"You seem troubled my Lord, is there something I can do to ease your mind?" She asked softly as they walked, her eyes glancing at Lord Elrond from time to time before focusing on the path they were walking.

He walked with his hands clasped behind his back and it reminded her of a general inspecting the troops. When he spoke his voice was quiet and somewhat gentle. "When I received Gandalf's letter I was pleased to hear that you had regained your memory and Bonded with Legolas though I admit to having my suspicions about you and he when you first arrived at Rivendell. When Gandalf made true the theory that you were one of the Faery Race I was even more pleased and a little concerned. The Faery passed from the world long and long ago but now wonder of wonders you stand before us a Faery and Bonded to an Elf."

He smiled gently at her and kept going. "But then Gandalf made it known in his letter that you intend to leave Middle Earth with the first Female Wizard in an Age. You are both women of extreme importance, of extreme value to Middle Earth, with the pair of you Middle Earth could see such wonders again, you might even be able to find Valinor and bring light back to the Trees. Your friend Artemis might be able to rekindle the race of Wizards, you could even rekindle the race of Faery."

He stopped and turned to her his eyes not quite pleading but she could see the longing in them, the longing to prolong the magic of Middle Earth, to save the Age of Elves and halt the coming of the Age of Man. An Age that he knew would mean the end of magic in Middle Earth. He didn't voice his request but she heard it just the same. Tracey halted her movements and looked at Lord Elrond, concern on her facial features. She couldn't help but feel for him and understand what he was trying to do, not just for him but for all those who used magic and depended on it for everything. Letting out a sighed, Tracey's wings stopped fluttering and wilted a little as she crossed her arms under her chest, contemplating how she should answer him.

"I know what you would have me do my Lord Elrond..." She started, searching his eyes. "If it is the reason Artemis and I were sent to Middle Earth than we will find Valinor and perhaps the reason the Dwarves were saved was so they could help us. But Artemis and I can't stay here indefinitely as much as I would like to, this has always been a world that I could see myself living in forever, but I don't think it is possible."

He looked down at the ground then up again at the Wood with its luminous pale trees, he seemed to be on the verge of saying something more but he checked himself and held his arm out. "How are you enjoying your time in Lothlorien?"

Wanting to say more on the subject, Tracey started to speak but then thought better of it. She would keep quiet for now, but figured she'd talk to Artemis about Valinor later that night and see if they might be able to do something to find it.

'Perhaps we were sent here to return magic to Middle Earth.' She thought her herself before answering Lord Elrond. "I have enjoyed every moment here in Lothlorien and like Rivendell, there is so much to see and experience. There would be something to do every day, I could have an adventure whenever I wanted... there's so much to see of Middle Earth."


	27. Chapter 27

Lord Elrond walked with her in a stately circuit through the orchard while they talked about the things she'd seen and learned since arriving in Lothlorien. The moon was rising high by the time they made it back to the festivities and Arwen was talking animatedly with a handful of young elven men. Elrond gave her a small bow and left her to go speak with Galadriel. When she looked around she didn't see Artemis though Legolas was approaching her with a welcoming smile.

Tracey gave Lord Elrond a respectful curtsy and then smiled as Legolas came closer. She could see that he was having a good time, but since she had disappeared for lord only knows how long, she was quite surprised that he hadn't come to find her sooner. It was fine with her, after all their traveling, he needed a break and this festival could not have come at a better time.

"Ah my love, have you been enjoying yourself?" Tracey asked, reverting to the sweet sounding Elven tongue that glided over her lips as if she had been speaking it her own life. "I have to grab an item from our room for Arwen, care to join me?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled. "If I join you in our room Arwen won't get her bundle." He murmured.

"Then perhaps I shall go alone and return as quickly at I can instead." Tracey answered, a playful smirk on her lips as she rested her hands on his chest and smiled up at him. "I still owe you a dance after being kidnapped by Artemis on our last one."

He smiled and let her go. "Hurry back beloved."

"As fast as my wings can carry me my heart." Tracey replied, her wing fluttering like a hummingbird as she took off.

It didn't take her long to get back to their room and dug around in her saddle bags until she found the right bag she was looking for. Tracey took out the little bundle Arwen had given her and held onto it while taking off through the open window again. Flying back to the party, it didn't take her long to spot Arwen again and the other Elves to see her coming into for a landing. They shifted off to one side and Tracey alighted to the floor again.

"Sorry my friends." She said with a smile. "Your package my Lady."

Arwen took the bundle and smiled delightedly. "I never cease to be amazed by the sight of you in flight."

"Believe me I still get a thrill every time I fly, it's an experience like no other." She said with a smile. "I had always wondered what it was like to fly and now I know exactly how that feels. What did you want me to deliver to your mother anyway?"

Arwen unwrapped the bundle and held up a delicate figurine wrought in a curious pale stone with streaks of purple. The figurine depicted an elven women cupping a delicate flower in her palms. "It took me months to finish this." She said and ran a fingertip along the hair of the figure.

"That is so beautiful Arwen, you're so gifted!" Tracey exclaimed happily. "If only I had half your talent."

Arwen shook her head and wrapped the figurine again. "You have other talents Tracey."

The music was picking up again while they talked and the elves that had been with Arwen hurried to join the dancing. "You should join in the celebration too Arwen, this night will only last so long and it seems that you have several admirers." Tracey said with a smile. "Besides I owe Legolas a dance."

She smiled and gave her a friendly wink before looking around for Legolas again and found him on the dance floor with the last person she thought he'd be dancing with... Artemis. This made her eyes widen, but in the end she was happy that they were at least getting along now. Stepping back to her chair, Tracey watched them and the other dancing Elves with a smile on her lips and a happy heart.

Artemis grinned up at Legolas in a way that made him a little nervous, she'd had a lot to drink and elven wine was a lot stronger than most humans could handle. She laughed as they twirled around the floor and he shook his head. "You're intoxicated."

Artemis tilted her head and smiled. "I am. And it's fun."

He helped her avoid bumping into another pair of dancers. "Artemis… why did you drag me onto the dance floor when you can barely stand up by yourself."

She frowned at him. "I want you to like me." She said and moved her hands from his waist to his arms. "Tracey loves you and she's my best friend, my sister in every way that matters. That makes you important to me."

He looked a little confused. "I don't dislike you."

Artemis blinked. "But… you barely talk to me, you go out of your way to avoid me."

He sighed and moved her hands so one rested on his shoulder and the other on his hip and kept her dancing. He tried to get his thoughts in order while they danced. "Artemis, I avoid you because you are a reflection. I know that someday soon you and Tracey will be drawn away from Middle Earth and I'll lose my Mate. I don't know for how long or if I'll ever see her again. And when I look at you I see the same heartache."

She winced and looked down at their feet and he continued. "You told me you loved the Hunter but you were taken from him and I see the pain of it in your eyes, you cannot hide such things from an Elf, I am afraid of that pain and I avoid you to avoid that pain."

He tilted her face up so he could look down at her and winced at the tears in her eyes, he knew it was the wine that had loosened her hold on her control. "I'm sorry Artemis."

The music stopped and she lurched to a stop, she stepped back hastily and tried to smile again. "Not your fault." She gave a watery laugh and cleared her throat. "Wow, that wine is hitting me hard… I'm… I'm going to go sit down. Go find Tracey huh? She probably wants a dance."

She made her way through the crowd to the far side of the dance floor away from Arwen, Tracey and the rest. Legolas shook his head and turned with a smile to Tracey as she approached. "Are you here to dance beloved?"

"Yes my love." Tracey replied with a smile, taking his hands and stepping close as the music started again. "Is Artemis okay? She looked a little unsteady on her feet."

"She has had a lot of Elf wine today, I don't think she realized how strong it is. She said she's going to go sit down for a while." Legolas replied pulling her in close when the music started.

"And that's why I stick with my fruit juices. Unless I put something in it myself, I won't ever get light-headed." Tracey mused with a smile. 'I guess I'll be talking to Artemis tomorrow about Valinor, best make it in the afternoon when she's had a chance to sleep off the wine a little.'

Tracey laughed and allowed Legolas to lead her around the dance floor in time to the music. She didn't have to look at her feet to know where she needed to step next while she was under Legolas's guidance. That allowed her to become lost in his beautifully bright eyes that she had come to love so much. They danced to several more fast paced songs before the hour started to grow later and soon enough Tracey had to stifle a yawn behind her hand. She blinked tiredly and started to make her way around the outer rim of the dance floor to Lord Elrond, Arwen, Lady Galadriel and Haldir, bidding them a pleasant rest and enjoyment for the rest of the festivities.


	28. Chapter 28

Lord Elrond walked with her in a stately circuit through the orchard while they talked about the things she'd seen and learned since arriving in Lothlorien. The moon was rising high by the time they made it back to the festivities and Arwen was talking animatedly with a handful of young elven men. Elrond gave her a small bow and left her to go speak with Galadriel. When she looked around she didn't see Artemis though Legolas was approaching her with a welcoming smile.

Tracey gave Lord Elrond a respectful curtsy and then smiled as Legolas came closer. She could see that he was having a good time, but since she had disappeared for lord only knows how long, she was quite surprised that he hadn't come to find her sooner. It was fine with her, after all their traveling, he needed a break and this festival could not have come at a better time.

"Ah my love, have you been enjoying yourself?" Tracey asked, reverting to the sweet sounding Elven tongue that glided over her lips as if she had been speaking it her own life. "I have to grab an item from our room for Arwen, care to join me?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled. "If I join you in our room Arwen won't get her bundle." He murmured.

"Then perhaps I shall go alone and return as quickly at I can instead." Tracey answered, a playful smirk on her lips as she rested her hands on his chest and smiled up at him. "I still owe you a dance after being kidnapped by Artemis on our last one."

He smiled and let her go. "Hurry back beloved."

"As fast as my wings can carry me my heart." Tracey replied, her wing fluttering like a hummingbird as she took off.

It didn't take her long to get back to their room and dug around in her saddle bags until she found the right bag she was looking for. Tracey took out the little bundle Arwen had given her and held onto it while taking off through the open window again. Flying back to the party, it didn't take her long to spot Arwen again and the other Elves to see her coming into for a landing. They shifted off to one side and Tracey alighted to the floor again.

"Sorry my friends." She said with a smile. "Your package my Lady."

Arwen took the bundle and smiled delightedly. "I never cease to be amazed by the sight of you in flight."

"Believe me I still get a thrill every time I fly, it's an experience like no other." She said with a smile. "I had always wondered what it was like to fly and now I know exactly how that feels. What did you want me to deliver to your mother anyway?"

Arwen unwrapped the bundle and held up a delicate figurine wrought in a curious pale stone with streaks of purple. The figurine depicted an elven women cupping a delicate flower in her palms. "It took me months to finish this." She said and ran a fingertip along the hair of the figure.

"That is so beautiful Arwen, you're so gifted!" Tracey exclaimed happily. "If only I had half your talent."

Arwen shook her head and wrapped the figurine again. "You have other talents Tracey."

The music was picking up again while they talked and the elves that had been with Arwen hurried to join the dancing. "You should join in the celebration too Arwen, this night will only last so long and it seems that you have several admirers." Tracey said with a smile. "Besides I owe Legolas a dance."

She smiled and gave her a friendly wink before looking around for Legolas again and found him on the dance floor with the last person she thought he'd be dancing with... Artemis. This made her eyes widen, but in the end she was happy that they were at least getting along now. Stepping back to her chair, Tracey watched them and the other dancing Elves with a smile on her lips and a happy heart.

Artemis grinned up at Legolas in a way that made him a little nervous, she'd had a lot to drink and elven wine was a lot stronger than most humans could handle. She laughed as they twirled around the floor and he shook his head. "You're intoxicated."

Artemis tilted her head and smiled. "I am. And it's fun."

He helped her avoid bumping into another pair of dancers. "Artemis… why did you drag me onto the dance floor when you can barely stand up by yourself."

She frowned at him. "I want you to like me." She said and moved her hands from his waist to his arms. "Tracey loves you and she's my best friend, my sister in every way that matters. That makes you important to me."

He looked a little confused. "I don't dislike you."

Artemis blinked. "But… you barely talk to me, you go out of your way to avoid me."

He sighed and moved her hands so one rested on his shoulder and the other on his hip and kept her dancing. He tried to get his thoughts in order while they danced. "Artemis, I avoid you because you are a reflection. I know that someday soon you and Tracey will be drawn away from Middle Earth and I'll lose my Mate. I don't know for how long or if I'll ever see her again. And when I look at you I see the same heartache."

She winced and looked down at their feet and he continued. "You told me you loved the Hunter but you were taken from him and I see the pain of it in your eyes, you cannot hide such things from an Elf, I am afraid of that pain and I avoid you to avoid that pain."

He tilted her face up so he could look down at her and winced at the tears in her eyes, he knew it was the wine that had loosened her hold on her control. "I'm sorry Artemis."

The music stopped and she lurched to a stop, she stepped back hastily and tried to smile again. "Not your fault." She gave a watery laugh and cleared her throat. "Wow, that wine is hitting me hard… I'm… I'm going to go sit down. Go find Tracey huh? She probably wants a dance."

She made her way through the crowd to the far side of the dance floor away from Arwen, Tracey and the rest. Legolas shook his head and turned with a smile to Tracey as she approached. "Are you here to dance beloved?"

"Yes my love." Tracey replied with a smile, taking his hands and stepping close as the music started again. "Is Artemis okay? She looked a little unsteady on her feet."

"She has had a lot of Elf wine today, I don't think she realized how strong it is. She said she's going to go sit down for a while." Legolas replied pulling her in close when the music started.

"And that's why I stick with my fruit juices. Unless I put something in it myself, I won't ever get light-headed." Tracey mused with a smile. 'I guess I'll be talking to Artemis tomorrow about Valinor, best make it in the afternoon when she's had a chance to sleep off the wine a little.'

Tracey laughed and allowed Legolas to lead her around the dance floor in time to the music. She didn't have to look at her feet to know where she needed to step next while she was under Legolas's guidance. That allowed her to become lost in his beautifully bright eyes that she had come to love so much. They danced to several more fast paced songs before the hour started to grow later and soon enough Tracey had to stifle a yawn behind her hand. She blinked tiredly and started to make her way around the outer rim of the dance floor to Lord Elrond, Arwen, Lady Galadriel and Haldir, bidding them a pleasant rest and enjoyment for the rest of the festivities.


	29. Chapter 29

When Tracey, Kili and Fili returned late in the afternoon it was with a basket full of fish and better moods than they'd been in when they left. Tracey and the Dwarves were laughing while they walked together up the laid out path at a steady pace, the basket of fish between the two Dwarves while Tracey carried the fishing poles and bait canister. At the moment Kili and Fili were regaling Tracey with stories of their earlier lives before their unexpected journey. Each story was more delightful than the last and many were filled with laughter and good cheer. Tracey returned their stories with one of her own, telling them about how she scared Artemis while she was cooking the bacon for dinner one night by sneaking around the bacon until Artemis could no longer see her until she moved to throw something away and then she saw her. Kili and Fili roared with laughter and another smile came to Tracey's lips.

"Come my friends, I dare say that I never had a meal made by Dwarves before." She said with a laugh. "Please tell me what I need to grab from the kitchens and I will bring them to you, if only to taste a delicacy created by you two."

Fili gave her a list of ingredients but paused when Artemis approached them, she looked distracted and was holding a letter which she read as she walked, her brow was furrowed and she was muttering under her breath. Tracey looked up from their group to see Artemis and concern passed over her face. Fluttering her wings a bit, she took off and landed in front of her.

"Artemis what's wrong? What does the letter say?" Tracey asked in a low voice.

Artemis looked up and blinked, it was obvious she hadn't been expecting them. "I sent a message to Tauriel asking her to come with all haste, I just got a letter from someone in a village a few days away saying that she was attacked;" She opened the letter and read. "The elven woman was found unconscious and injured in the woods with a letter in her bag from your respected person. If you are kin we urge you to come as quick as you may, her injuries are grave and we do not have the skills to help her."  
Tracey's eyes went wide and she hastily looked over her shoulder at Fili and Kili, she facial expression turning to a calm composure as she nodded. Looking at Artemis in the eyes she proceeded to speak in a low voice to her.

"We should go immediately and leave Kili and Fili here with Thorin, he wouldn't care to come anyway. I will have Legolas ready our horses while you and I collect our saddlebags and meet in the stables. I'll fly by the kitchens and collect some provisions before I meet up with you. Did the letter say what village and where?"

Artemis put a hand on Tracey's arm. "We can't just leave Tracey; if Tauriel is badly hurt Kili deserves to know. And I think you might find Thorin more… civil."

Raising an eyebrow, Tracey shook her head and blinked at the thought of Thorin becoming civil. Slowly she nodded to a conclusion and cleared her throat softly.

"Then we should tell him, but he should stay here, the smaller the company we take the faster we will be able to move... I can only imagine what Legolas's reaction will be and I have half a mind to have him stay here too." She said before turning to address Fili and Kili. "Artemis received a letter that Tauriel has been hurt on her ways here and we are making plans to leave within the hour to go get her. We'll do all that we can for her, but we don't know how badly she's hurt. Please trust us to take of her and stay here."

Kili's face went pale and Fili put a hand on his shoulder looking past Tracey to Artemis. Artemis sighed and handed Fili the letter and he read it quickly, Kili reading alongside him. They looked at each other and nodded. "We're coming." Fii said firmly.

Kili didn't speak, he just looked at Artemis his face a mask hiding the storm of emotions he must have been feeling. "Save me from the stubbornness of Dwarves." Tracey said with an exasperated sigh as she tried to explain further. "We need to travel light and you need to stay out of sight. If anyone should see you alive and recognize you then all that we've done to keep you hidden will be undone."

Her wings fluttered a little bit more.

"Hell I will ground you both if I have to, we don't have time to argue about this." She said, looking back at Artemis almost pleadingly. "Artemis, you're stubborn like them, I could use a little help here."

Artemis folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "I agree with Fili on this one." She held up a finger and started ticking off points on her other hand. "One: if she's that badly hurt then Kili deserves the chance to say goodbye, Two: They're going to have to leave Lothlorien some time and now is as good as any, Three: Who is going to recognize them this far from the Blue Mountains or Erebor? Besides I get the feeling if we leave them behind they will raise cain and draw more attention to themselves or follow us and get noticed in the process since they'll have to raid the kitchens, the stables and ride out of here probably in broad daylight. If they come with us we can control the circumstances and the exposure."

The next sounds, noises and gestures from Tracey made no sense and sounded unintelligent as her wings fluttered enough to take her off the ground. She face-palmed into her own hand and shook her head.

"Fine, like I said we don't have time to argue about this." Tracey answered, shaking her head. "Let's gather our things and get moving. The sooner we get moving the sooner was can get to Tauriel and help her... Figure out what you're going to do with those fish, we can't take them with us and I doubt they'll keep. Okay slight change of plans, I'll find Legolas first so he can prepare the supplies and the horses, Artemis, you, Kili and Fili get your things together and I'll go to Lady Galadriel and get my saddlebags."

Without sparing a moment more, Tracey took off with enough force to cause a dust circle on the ground behind her. Flying faster than she had thought possible, she hurried and packed only the essentials into her saddlebags and threw them over her shoulder. Tracey figured that Lady Galadriel would be in her library and that's where she would go first.

Galadriel met her on the stairs looking concerned. "Tracey, the servants tell me you're in a hurry. What has happened?"

Tracey landed on the stairs and had to take several deep breaths before she was able to speak again.

"We've received a letter from a village telling us that Tauriel has been hurt and request that we come to help her. The Dwarves won't listen to reason and so Kili and Fili are coming with us. I don't know if Thorin will be but we need to get our supplies together so we can leave shortly." She answered, giving her a respectful bow.

Galadriel put a hand on Tracey's shoulder and gave her a gentle smile. "Tracey, true wisdom comes not in trying to force a stubborn creature to do what you wish, it comes in knowing how a stubborn creature will act and making it work for you."

"Too true, but at the moment we don't have the time to discuss anything more." Tracey replied, shifting her saddlebags on her shoulder. "With your blessing, we leave within the hour to find Tauriel. I still have to find Legolas and ready the horses."

"I believe Artemis has him filling bags of provisions in the kitchens." Galadriel said with a smile.

She took a small pouch out of her sleeve and handed it to Tracey, it felt heavy and upon inspection Tracey found silver and gold coins and several paper packets. "You may find the herbs of more help than the gold." She said and stepped to the side so Tracey could pass.

"Thank you my Lady." Tracey replied, packing both into her saddlebags quickly. "I'll make good use of these and hopefully we'll be back soon."

Taking off again, Tracey flew to the stables, landing just as several horses whinnied at her arrival. Summer Breeze and Fleet-foot spotted her first as she entered the stables and she couldn't help but smile at them. Tracey put down her saddlebags and greeted both horses lovingly before refocusing on what she needed to do. Under her polite directions she had the stable-hands ready her's and Legolas's horses and then tack up Artemis's horse and two plucky little ponies for Kili and Fili to ride.

"I hope we get to Tauriel in time, despite the emotional reminders that could be involved." She muttered under her breath, buckling her saddlebags to Summer Breeze's saddle and taking the reins from the stable-hand.

The horses were saddled and brought out into the courtyard and now all that were needed were their riders. Artemis came out of the dwarves quarters with Kili and Fili wearing cloaks the hoods pulled up to hide their faces. She ducked her head back in and said something to Thorin then closed the door and headed over to Tracey. Tracey noticed that she'd changed into sturdy black trousers, a long sleeved dark red shirt and a black vest that snugged in at the waist. She was still wearing the boots she'd been wearing when she arrived in Middle Earth and had thrown a gray cloak over it all.

She strode across the courtyard to Tracey just as Legolas came out leading his Horse, all the horses and the ponies had saddlebags filled with provisions and the now gutted fish were hanging on a strange looking rack on Fili's horse. Pulling her own gray cloak from her own saddlebags, Tracey threw it around her shoulders and tied the cords tight after shuffling her wings a bit and folding them against her back. She didn't like hiding her wings, they were meant to be exposed and used, not hidden away, but it was something that had to be done. If the slave traders got wind that she was out and about in the world again it could jeopardize what they were trying to do. She did a quick count and nodded, as if checking off a list in her head and checked her horse's girth strap before putting her foot in the stirrup and swinging her right leg over his flank. Adjusting her cloak as needed, Tracey looked to Artemis and gave her a small smile.

"Okay, where is this small village Tauriel was taken to?" She asked quickly, watching as they all mounted too.

Artemis gave her an amused patient look. "Still living in the fast lane." She said softly and turned her horse heeling it gently and it trotted towards the North. "I asked Gandalf, seeing as he spends more time travelling than the elves and he told me it's about two days from Lothlorien, it sits in a little fork of river between the Anduin and one of its smaller tributaries so we're going to follow the river once we leave the Wood. And I have a map."

Legolas reined his horse in beside Tracey and raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't think I've ever seen you so commanding beloved."

"I'm sorry my love, I'm not normally this demanding." Tracey started, pushing some hair out from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "But we really can't afford to waste time, Tauriel could be dying and if we don't get to her quickly then she could slip away forever."

It suddenly dawned on her that she and Legolas would soon know what that would be like and she shut her mouth quickly. Letting out a sigh, Tracey realized that she had reverted to her normal, fast acting, leaping before looking personality and shook her head. She leaned forward and patted Summer Breeze's neck before straightening her posture again and looking at Legolas again.

"If someone is hurt and it's within my power to help, I make sure I help to the best of my abilities... It's the side of me I always try to show to everyone I meet, but they usually take advantage of that. This is different, however, Tauriel needs our help and she's important to Kili so there isn't time to waste. I can't help but wonder how Tauriel got hurt on her way here... I guess we'll figure that out when we get to the village, I just hope it's not the slave traders again."

"I doubt it." He said and took her hand while they rode. "Whatever happens everything will be alright my love."

"I know it will, but no amount of soothing words will ease my mind until we get to Tauriel, heal her, and get back to the Wood." Tracey replied, giving Legolas's hand a gentle squeeze and looking into his blue eyes.


	30. Chapter 30

When they finally got to the village Tracey was all but boiling with impatience. Late winter flooding of the Anduin had forced them to take a wider route around to keep from getting bogged down and it was an extra day past the two that Artemis had estimated when they finally arrived at the village in the chill pouring rain. Her cloak was sodden and she could feel the wet seeping through to the second cloak Artemis had forced her to wear to keep her wings dry. Artemis was huddled under a wool blanket seeming to ignore the wet. She'd tried to hold off the worst of the rain with magic for a while but she soon grew too tired to keep the shield up. "She's at the Inn." Artemis said over the rain and steered her horse towards the building at the far end of the village green. The rest of the group followed her and stable-hands came forward quickly to take care hold of the reins, this was a good sign that there were rooms in the inn. After everyone gathered their saddlebags from their horses, the stable-hands took them away and proceeded to tend to them. This allowed Tracey, Legolas, Artemis and the Dwarves to make their way inside. As soon as they were all huddled in the inn, a large, well rounded man in his mid-thirties came forward and inspected them from head to toe before speaking.

"Good evening my Lords, Mistresses." He said with a bow, rubbing his hands together and giving them a wide smile. "Welcome to my humble establishment, my name is Tom Marthelo, owner of the Green Leaf inn. What came I do for you?"

Tracey stepped forward before anyone else could speak, pushing back the hood of her cloak and addressed the man.

"Good evening to you as well Master Marthelo, my companions and I need rooms for three, but we've arrived in answer to your letter about the wounded She-Elf that was brought here. We need to see her right away."

He blinked a little surprised and took in the motley crew of one human woman, two dwarves and two apparent Elves all streaming water onto the floor of his common room. Artemis stepped forward and rested her hand on Tracey's shoulder. "If you have three rooms available we would be very grateful and perhaps we could hang our cloaks down here so we don't track more water into your inn."

He glanced at her then back at the rest of them before he nodded slowly. "Aye, I've pegs over the grate there." He motioned behind them. "And I can get three rooms ready in a jiff. The She Elf is on the top floor, I can have one of the maids show you."

Artemis nudged Tracey to pay the man and hung her wet blanket on a peg for all the world as if it were a cloak. Legolas and the dwarves hung their cloaks as well. Digging around in the small pouch of coins Lady Galadriel had given her, Tracey pulled out the correct amount and slipped them into Master Marthelo's hand with a smile. She apologized for being so upfront with him and asked that he not hold it against her for being in such a hurry to help her kin, for all he knew she really was an Elf and Tracey wouldn't discourage the thought from his mind. Taking off only her outer cloak, Tracey hung it up above the crate and left her gray cloak on, not wanting to reveal her wings at the present time. A young woman of about twenty came forward and lead them all upstairs to the top floor and to Tauriel's room, quietly opening the door to reveal another maid tending to her the best she could.

"Thank you for showing us the way." Tracey said softly, turning to the girl and giving her a smile. "Would you please bring some fresh bandages, rags and hot water?"

The young woman nodded and hurried to do as she was bidden and left the group, shutting the door behind her. Artemis stepped forward briskly and tugged the coverlet down to examine the she-elf. She made a disgusted noise at the whiff of decay. Tauriel moaned softly and Kili rushed forward on the other side of the bed taking her hand. Artemis ignored him and motioned for Tracey. "I need my satchel from the saddlebag."

Looking at Kili, she rested a hand on his shoulder gently and gave him a comforting smile.

"Artemis and I will do what we can for her, trust in her abilities." Tracey said, pulling out a few pouches from the money bag and handing them to her. "Here, take these too. Lady Galadriel gave them to me when I went to let her know we were leaving to get Tauriel."

Turning on her heel quickly, Tracey crossed the room to the chair that Artemis had put her saddlebags in and brought out her satchel. She brought it back to her and then waited for further instructions, noting several bruises on Tauriel's face and she was sure there were more on her body. Her recovery was going to take a while and the sooner they got her back to Lady Galadriel's Wood, the better it would be for her.

Artemis dug in the satchel and brought out her medical supplies, she arranged them on the low bedside table then covered them with a cloth when the maid came in with the water and the rags. She told the maid to leave them on the table and waited until the maid had left before looking at Legolas, Fili and Tracey. "There's nothing any of you can do here right now. Go get warm and dry and find some food. When one of you gets a chance please ask the cook to make some chicken broth."

Fili protested that he wanted to stay with Kili and Tauriel but Artemis wasn't really paying attention any longer as she stripped off her vest and draped it over a chair and began washing her hands. Tracey nodded in understanding and placed a gentle hand on Fili's shoulder, applying a little pressure to get his attention. She motioned for him to come with her and lead them out of the room, Legolas closing the door behind them with a glance back at Tauriel. Leading them down to the common room again, Tracey picked a table near to the fire so they could get warm and chase away the chill of the rain. She also asked a passing maid, who was making her way to the kitchens, to bring some meat, potatoes, bread, cheese, and fruit as well as some water and wine to their table, mentioning that they would need some chicken broth to be brought as well. The maid hurried away and Tracey sat down next to Legolas, looking at Fili.

"We should take a few moments to collect our thoughts Fili, emotions are running high right now and I think us crowding the room would only make it worse. Artemis is a great healer in our world, she did this sort of think for a long time and knows what she's doing. Besides, Kili will need our support soon enough, yours most of all."


	31. Chapter 31

Artemis dried her hands on a clean cloth and pulled the coverlet off the bed, she shoved it in a corner and then had Kili help her get Tauriel undressed to her underwear, He flushed a little but when Artemis handed him a bowl of hot water and a rag and instructed him to help her clean the cuts he nodded. Artemis knew the cuts had been cleaned previously but there were scabs and pus from infection on most of them now and they needed to be cleaned again. Once they were cleaned she started probing Tauriel's skin gently checking the worst bruises looking for broken bones or internal bleeding. She shook her head at the fever raging in Tauriel but there were no broken bones or hemorrhaging. She ran her fingers along Tauriels skull and winced at the swollen lump at the back and one she found on the right side. "Well that changes what I can give her…"

Kili opened his mouth to ask a question but the intense focus in Artemis's eyes was all on Tauriel, he was a little surprised, Artemis had always seemed a kind woman, a little stern but he han't expected such intensity from her, she lifted the cloth off her tools and started using the odd things, he watched her place a strange device in her ears then wrap a band around Tauriels arm. A small hand pump inflated the band and he watched as a needle on a dial jumped and hovered. She took the band off and used the strange device in her ears pressing a flat disc above Tauriels heart then took it off and grimace. "Erratic heart rate but her blood pressure is good so she's not bleeding into her skull so why is she unconscious still?"

She handed him the packets of powders. "What are these?"

He opened them. "This one is Feverbane." He handed it to her and she pulled out a strange pen and wrote it on the paper.

He opened another one. "Arifael Root, It's for pain relief." He handed it to her and she wrote that down too.

He opened the last and blinked. "Athelas." He said. "The elves use it with their magic to stop evil magic and enhance good."

She nodded and marked it as well before she rummaged in her satchel and brought out bottles, she read the tiny writing on one of the bottles and shook her head. "Blood thinner, nope," Another bottle and she shook her head again, she went through all of the bottles before settling on one and shook several fat pills out into her palm.

She set him to grinding them up while she brewed an infusion of Feverbane and Arifael. When he handed her the mortar with the ground pills she added some of that to the infusion and mixed it. "Help me hold her up."

He helped her hold Tauriel up and Artemis got her to swallow the brew. She pulled the whitest bandages he'd ever seen out of her bag and a strange sharp smelling salve and dressed Tauriel's wounds then covered her with a sheet. "We'll have to feed her this brew every three hours for the next day or so, until the fever breaks."

He sat by the bed and held Tauriel's hand while Artemis gathered up her tools and cleaned them before putting them all away and walked down to the common room. She saw Tracey and sat next to her. Looking up from her food, Tracey watched Artemis entire the common room and sit with them. She didn't immediately prod her for information on Tauriel's condition, but pushed a plate containing a variety of foods and a goblet of wine toward her and allowed her to eat first. Tracey took Legolas hand and gave him a smile before returning to her fruit.

"How is she doing Artemis?"

Artemis sipped her wine and leaned back in the chair her plate empty. "She has a fever and a pretty serious infection but nothing is broken or punctured. She's got two pretty serious knots on her skull though but I don't think she's bleeding into her skull. I can't risk any of the anti-inflammatories I have though since they're all blood thinners and if she has even a small bleed in the brain it could kill her. We've dosed her with fever reducers, pain killers and antibiotics, once the fever breaks we'll see what else can be done."

Tracey nodded and rested her chin in her palm after she rested her elbow on top of the table.

"That's as well as we can do for now I suppose." Tracey said after a moment and sighed tiredly. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Kili will be staying with Tauriel all night. Fili, why don't you bring him up something to eat and give him whatever support he needs right now."

Fili needed no further encouragement and picked up an empty plate from the table, loaded it up with food, and grabbed a mug of ale before vanishing up the stairs to his brother. She glanced at Legolas and tilted her head to study him, he hadn't said much since they arrived and it slightly worried her.

"Are you alright my love?" She asked, speaking softly in the Elven speech of his people. "You've been quiet."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and replied in Elven. "Tauriel and I were friends for many years. I have seen her take hurts far worse and not be laid low by them. To see one so strong so… helpless unnerves me."

"I know of your friendship, my love, and you know as well as I that she is stronger than we would give her credit for." Tracey replied, giving him a comforting smile. "She has someone to live for so I doubt greatly that she would just give up and die. That would be far too easy and you know how stubborn she is, almost equally is the Dwarf she has come to love."

Leaning over, she kissed Legolas on the cheek before resting her head on his shoulder.

He rested his hand on her head and ran fingers through her dark hair. "Aye but does she know he is here? She believed him dead and I doubt Artemis's letter would have revealed the whole truth."

"You're right about that, but if she hears him speaking to her it will help." Said said, eyes closing as she savored his touch. "We shall keep a close eye on her in the meantime and hope for the best. Artemis and I will check on her periodically to make sure she's okay, but I think for now we should rest. I don't know about you but a hot bath and warm bed are calling to me."

Reverting back to English after looking and Artemis and finding her expression to be on of amusement, Tracey smiled and cleared her throat. A maid came to their table and handed them a key to their room and Tracey told her that their Dwarven friend had gone up to see the She-Elf and his brother so she was politely asked to take the last key to him. With the girl gone to deliver the key and get back to work, Tracey stifled a yawn behind her hand and blinked tiredly.

"Bed time I think. You should take the wine up to your room Artemis and relax, you've done enough for the day."

Artemis smiled. "I'll get to bed soon enough. I think a musician is about to start and I'd like to hear it."

She motioned towards a youngish man who was tuning a harp by the fire and sipped her wine. "Very well, when you do decide to sleep, I hope you have pleasant dreams and I will try to do the same." Tracey answered with a smile, standing up from her chair and wrapping her arms around Artemis from behind. "Excellent performance today, good night."

Pushing her chair under the table again, Tracey held onto Legolas's hand and together they vanished up to their room. Conveniently all their rooms were on the top floor with Tauriel's being at the end of the hall, making it perfect to check on her as they needed too. Tracey unlocked their room and deposited her saddlebags, which she had retrieved from Tauriel's room after she had gone to check on her, Fili and Kili, in a nearby chair and let out a tired breath. She drew herself a bath and undressed behind the reed screen, using a cloth to wash away the dirt and grime of her travels. The hot water chased away the chill of the night and warmed her to her bones. With a delighted smile, Tracey quickly finished her bath and pulled on clean undergarments and a night shift. She unfolded her wings and gave them several soft flaps, stretching them out happily, glad to have them out in the open again instead of concealed under her cloak. Taking the still damp garment, she hung it up on one of the pegs in the room to let it dry before falling face first onto the bed and lying there unmoving, her wings opening and closing lazily.

"So tired..." Came her muffled voice from the fabric followed by another sigh.

Legolas sat beside her turned slightly and started massaging her back. "Rest my heart. We made it here and if fate is kind Tauriel will live." He kissed the skin where her wings met her back .

A visible shudder ran through Tracey and her wings suddenly standing up straight, stopping their movement completely. Slowly she rolled over and scooted closer, cupping his cheek gently and drawing him into her awaiting lips. Tracey kissed him tenderly and letting out a content sigh as she started to sit up further and nearly crawled into his lap. She loved being this close, feeling his body heat surround her and being put at ease. He was right, they had acquired Tauriel and helped her to the best of their abilities, now it was only a matter of time to see how she would hold it together. If fate was kind, she would be alright in a few days and they could return to Lothlorien.

"I will love you forever Legolas." She whispered, giving him a loving smile and resting her forehead against his own.

"Forever and a day." He replied cupping her face.


	32. Chapter 32

Artemis checked on Tauriel at intervals through the night feeding her the brew she'd concocted every few hours, she was sitting by the bed scribbling in her journal when the fever broke and she smiled. She nudged Kili and Fili awake and told them to help her change the sheets which were drenched in sweat. She shooed them out and gave Tauriel a sponge bath before laying her back down and letting them back in. She checked the cuts and changed the bandages before giving Kili instructions on how to feed Tauriel spoonfuls of chicken broth. "Talk to her, it doesn't matter what just talk. I'm going to go talk to the villagers who found her and see if I can get some answers."

She tapped on Tracey's door and grinned when she answered hair tousled. "Wing Wang." She teased and moved a lock of hair off Tracey's cheek. "Want to come talk to the villager who found Tauriel with me?"

Tracey blinked slowly and looked at Artemis through sleepily eyes, her wings fluttering a little behind her.

"Yeah I'll come with you. Just let me get a change of clothes and my cloak and then we can go... How about scrounging up something to eat while I get ready." Tracey said with a smile.

Closing the door again, Tracey went to her saddlebags and pulled out fresh clothes. Dressing quickly, she ran a brush through her hair and tied it back with some ribbon before crossing back over to the bed and sitting on the edge. Tracey gently brushed her fingers over Legolas cheek and leaned down to kiss his lips.

"My love, Artemis and I are going to talked to the person who found Tauriel." She spoke softly as she pulled back a little. "We shouldn't be too long and you may join us if you wish."

He propped his head up with one arm and smiled sleepily up at her. "I will stay here with the dwarves. Be safe my heart."

"I shall and I think you should check on Tauriel as well. I think she would be glad to see you too." She answered with a smile.

Kissing him one last time, Tracey pulled on her boots and laced them up. She grabbed her cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, tying the cords and leaving the room. For her own sake, Tracey went to Tauriel's room and entered to see Kili clasping Tauriel's hand and his head resting on his arm. Fili was sitting in a chair in front of a low burning fireplace, his head lolled to the side also in sleep. Tracey laughed quietly to herself and then placed her hand on Tauriel's forehead for a brief moment, whispering some Elvish words of comfort before leaving the room again, meeting Artemis half way up the stairs with their food. Together they ate on the stairs before leaving the inn.

Artemis dusted her hands clean of crumbs and settled her own cloak about her shoulders. "Tauriels fever broke this morning and her cuts are clean so the antibiotics I dosed her with are working. Hopefully she'll wake soon."

"I think she will and the first face she will see if Fili's, that will make him happy and possibly the day after tomorrow she'll be strong enough to move. We might have to get a wagon, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Tracey replied, brushing her own lips free of crumbs. "Do you know where our person of interest is?"

"Yeah, I asked the Innkeeper and he gave me directions." Artemis replied leading her towards the door. "And if Tauriel can even sit up in three days I will be stunned."

"We shall see." She replied with a cryptic smile before pulling her cloak closer to her body. "Lead the way Artemis, I really want to know how she got that badly hurt and why."

Despite the hour the streets were bustling with people selling their wares and goods. Tracey kept close to Artemis as she moved between groups of people. They stepped lightly around carts, wagons and riders on horseback, but continued moving forward to their destination.

Artemis led her through the muddy streets quickly and stopped in front of a shop that looked to be the type of place that catered to hunters. Traps, hooks, knives and pelts were displayed in baskets and on racks and Artemis made her way through to a counter. She rapped on the wood. "Master Conger! Master Conger you're wanted." Her voice penetrated through the building and they heard someone banging around in the back.

A tall man with broad shoulders and wary brown eyes emerged from the back wiping his hands on a bloody apron. "What do ye want of me?" He asked giving them a dubious look.

Artemis smiled charmingly. "We were told you found the she-elf. We're here kin and have come for her, we wanted to know how you happened across her."

Master Conger considered them for a minute. "Ye do no look like any elf I ever seen." He said after a while. "She do, but no ye."

Artemis shrugged. "These are dangerous times, no female, elf or not travels alone anymore."

He seemed to accept that. "I was checking my traps when I did hear an awful racket in the brush. When I went looking I did see that she-elf set upon by a trio of orcs. Nasty brutes with beady yellow eyes, they was clubbing her something hard and one was using a great knife on her flesh. I must have surprised them because they did start and run like all the Horse Lords was bearing down on them."

"I'm grateful for your quick aid to my kin, she is doing better and is resting easy now." Tracey replied, giving him a kind smile and a small bow of her head. "Have Orcs been seen close to your village's borders? It's a wonder that you were fortunate, Orcs usually don't like to leave survivors."

He rubbed his chin and shrugged. "We never seen them before and there was only three of them. They did seem most fearful that they'd been seen and no more showed themselves since."

Tracey looked at Artemis and then looked back at Master Conger again, pressing him for more information.

"What else can you tell us? Were there identifiable marks on the Orcs armor, or what did their weapons look like? Perhaps the direction they took?"

He gave her a strange look. "Now why would I be needing to know such? They're orcs, you kill them or run from them." He looked at Artemis and she gave him a placid smile.

"Some of her kin have made noises about hunting them down." She replied and he nodded.

"I imagine they would want such but the foul creatures are near a week gone and I don't know aught else about them. I hope your kin recovers and wish her well but I don't know anything else."

Artemis smiled and gave a short bow. "Thank you Master Conger."

"Yes thank you." Tracey replied, slipping a gold coin into his hand and tucking the coin pouch into her cloak again. "If you recall anything else of importance please send word to Master Marthelo at the inn and he'll get word to us."

Turning on her heel, she took Artemis by the arm gently and they left together. Once they were a few paces away from the shop Tracey spoke in low tones, not wanting to have people eavesdropping on their conversation.

"That was almost a complete waste of time... we didn't learn much, but I'm just glad that Tauriel is with us now and not in a hole somewhere."

Artemis shrugged and started back towards the Inn. "We learned that Orcs have been ranging a lot closer to Lothlorien than they had been and we learned that they don't want it known how close they are."

When they got back to the Inn Artemis yawned and stretched. "I'm going to take a nap."

"There is that." Tracey started to agree, nodding her head and smiling. "I'll pop in on Legolas and let him know we're back then I will check up on Fili and Kili. When we get back to Lothlorien I'm going to inform Lady Galadriel of the Orcs."

Tracey tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her pointed ears and pushed the door open for Artemis and then following in behind her, shutting it again.

"Enjoy your nap, shall I come get you for lunch or when it's time to doctor Tauriel again?"

Artemis yawned. "I gave the boys instructions on dosing Tauriel. Wake me an hour after lunch."

She made her way up the stairs but paused halfway. "If she wakes get me up though."

"Will do." Tracey replied, nudging her up the stairs and following behind her. "I will get you if she wakes up today. Get going my sweet, the rest will do you good."

She smiled and followed her up the rest of the floors to the room she shared with Legolas and opened the door, slipping in to find the room empty. Without shedding her cloak, Tracey closed the door without even stepping foot in the room and turned to look at Tauriel's door, a smile on her lips. Softly opening the door to Tauriel's room, Tracey slipped in and closed the door behind her. It was then that she draped her cloak over a second chair by the fireplace and set another log on the embers, stoking it into life again and waking Fili in the process.

"Be at ease my friend." She said quietly, fluttering her wings until she was comfortable again.

He sat up and looked at Tauriel his face concerned. "Why is she still unconscious? Her fever broke and she's strong."

Tracey glanced over at Tauriel and then back at Fili. She took a breath and let it out before speaking softly and warming her hands by the fire.

"She is physically strong, yes, but at the moment she is still recovering. I think if Kili talks to her and it doesn't have to be about anything in particular, she well hear his voice and come back. Artemis believes that she could sleep for at least three more days... I'm hoping sooner than that but this isn't something we can rush."

She clapped him gently on the arm and straightened her posture. Fili stretched and sighed. "I told Kili to go for a walk with Legolas. He's getting jumpy cooped up in here."

As if to prove the point the door opened and Kili hurried in dumping his cloak on the floor under the peg while Legolas entered more slowly. Kili sat down across from his brother and took Tauriel's hand. Legolas smiled and bent to kiss Tracey.

"Did you learn anything helpful?"

Tracey smiled and kissed Legolas tenderly, stroking his cheek before looking over at Kili and then at Fili. Concern for Kili was evident in her eyes and she turned her attention back to Legolas, reverting back to Elven speech in quiet tones.

"It would seem that Orcs are moving closer to villages, but they're gone now. A week at most, but the man from the village said that the three Orcs he saw scattered when he stumbled upon Tauriel. He couldn't tell us any more than that, I just wish there was more we could have found out." She replied softly. "Perhaps Tauriel can answer and other questions after she wakes up."

He nodded and held her snug against him while they watched Tauriel sleep.


	33. Chapter 33

She didn't wake that day or the following day. Artemis had sent everyone out of the inn for a while to get some sun. "You all look like vampires. Go get some vitamin D." She ordered and shoved them all out of the room with a gust of air.

"What are vampires?" Fili asked while Kili kicked the door angrily.

Artemis turned back to the room and opened the curtains and the window letting in light and fresh air. She moved the chair to the window and sat down to work on some sewing she'd picked up. She watched Tracey bullying the dwarves across the village square and smiled before turning her attention back to the sewing; she had started to sing softly when she saw Tauriel stirring. She kept singing while she worked and let Tauriel come around on her own and smiled when the she-elfs hazel eyes blinked open.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." She said softly.

Tauriel for her part was a little surprised at her circumstances upon waking. She had drifted in a world of white noise only broken occasionally by the sound of a deep voice asking her to please wake up, then she'd heard a voice singing. It reminded her of when he mother had been alive and sung to her while she drifted off to sleep. She found herself drawn to that voice and when she opened her eyes she saw the rough wooden beams overhead, felt the slide of cotton sheets under her hands and a few stray aches and pains, mostly in her head. She glanced over at the other person in the room and was surprised to see a human woman sitting by the window holding a shirt in her lap still singing. "Who…" She cleared her throat, her voice felt raw. "Who are you?"

The woman turned dark eyes to her and smiled setting down the sewing. "My name is Artemis. Can you tell me your name?"

"Tauriel, my name is Tauriel."

Artemis smiled and moved to the edge of the bed. "Good. Follow my finger with your eyes." She moved it from side to side and Tauriel followed it with her eyes not quite sure why she was doing so.

"Good. No cognitive damage. I was worried when you didn't wake." Artemis patted her hand in a motherly sort of way but she didn't look old enough for that.

"How did I get here?" She asked.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Artemis asked and Tauriel thought about it.

"I got a letter, saying I must come to Lothlorien, that my future depended upon it. I was traveling and then… I woke up."

Artemis nodded. "You were attacked by Orcs. A hunter found you and brought you here, they sent a message to Lothlorien and we came to get you."

Tauriel frowned but she didn't remember, Artemis helped her sit up and handed her a cup. "Don't rush it, retrograde amnesia is common in head injuries. Drink that down and I'll get something more substantial for you."

Tauriel sipped the drink while Artemis left the room, she didn't think she knew the woman but the human spoke and acted with a familiarity she found reassuring.

Artemis had the innkeeper prepare scrambled eggs, porridge and some sliced fruit, she was smiling and hoping Tauriel would be able to eat most of it before Kili came back. She wanted Tauriel to have something in her stomach before that shock.

She took it back up and got most of it into Tauriel before she head Tracey berating Kili and Fili for something on their way up the stairs. "Brace yourself." She told Tauriel and smiled.

"Will you keep it down boys, you make enough noise to put a stampede of Rohirim horses to shame." Tracey growled, motioning for them to keep their voices down. "Artemis needed us to leave for a while and you have to admit the fresh air was a must. Besides it's not like Tauriel is going to be moving around for a little while. We need to let her rest so keep it down."

She stepped up onto the last floor's landing, touched the handle to the door of Tauriel's room and stopped in mid-step. Her ears wiggled and she suddenly opened the door slowly and stepped inside.

"Ah so you are awake." Tracey said slowly, a smile on her lips. "Are you feeling better?"

Tauriel stared at her then at Kili and Fili who were trying to force their way through the doorway and then at Legola who came up at the rear standing taller than Tracey by a head and the dwarves by quite a bit more. "You...I thought...I…" She turned her head and looked at Artemis her face stunned and Artemis put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's ok, just breath for a minute." She said and looked at the dwarves.

She motioned to Kili. "Come in here and sit down. Fili, Tracey and Legolas why don't you go get some lunch. I'll be down in a few minutes and I am seriously craving some mutton."

"Kili remember to breath and let Tauriel collect her thoughts too." Tracey said quietly, taking Legolas's and Fili's hand and dragging them out into the hallway again. "Let's get some lunch and then afterwards we'll come back in a little while to catch up."

Pulling them to the stairs, Tracey shut the door closed and went down to the common room and asked one of the serving girls to bring them some food, especially mutton. She hopped that things would be set right now, that Kili and Tauriel would be happy together, but is this the end of her's and Artemis's time in Middle Earth? What were they going to do now? Those questions she put aside for their food had arrived and they ate at their own pace, each of them in their own thoughts.

Tauriel stared at Kili as he approached her then looked at Artemis in confusion. "How…"

Artemis sat on the edge of the bed and motioned for Kili to sit in the chair. "That's rather complicated I'm afraid."

"You sound like that Wizard...Gandalf." Tauriel said a little accusingly.

Artemis chuckled. "I've been travelling with him for weeks and he taught me to use my powers. I am a Wizard in my own right Tauriel."

"Did… did you bring him back?" She asked and looked at Kili who looked like he wanted to throw himself on his knees.

"No." Artemis replied. "We're not entirely sure who or what brought him back and that could mean a lot of trouble." She explained the situation to Tauriel who leaned back against the headboard her hands clasped in her lap.

"You're telling me that he has to leave again?" She asked and she couldn't help the tremble in her voice.

Artemis reached over and took her hand making her look up. "What I am saying is that he cannot return to Erebor, or the Mirkwood, he will have to be as far from there as is physically possible and he must stay out of future events. There are a few choices open to him. He could travel to the Gray Havens, he could travel to the edges of the map and make a life for himself there, or he can retreat into hiding somewhere in the known world. But he need not do it alone."

She gave him a significant look before continuing. "He has promised me that he will not follow Thorin if Thorin means to retake Erebor. He was waiting for you to arrive before he chose his course, things went a little awry but his decision I think is the same."

He nodded and reached over to rest a large hand on Tauriel's arm. She stared at him then Artemis. "I…"

Artemis cut her off and stood. "You don't have to chose now Tauriel. Take some time to adjust."

She moved to the door and gave them both a kind smile. "Love is precious, to have lost it and then regain it is so rare."

She stepped out and closed the door behind her leaving them in silence. Kili couldn't stand it anymore and cleared his throat. "Tauriel I…"

She pulled him into a hug so tight he thought she would crush his ribs, she pressed her face against his neck and he felt the tears staining his skin. "You were dead." She choked.

He held her and rubbed her back. "I'm sorry. He said gruffly.

She pulled back and shook him a little. "I saw you die you idiot. I thought I would die from the loss."

He rested his hands on her shoulders and smiled gently. "I won't do it again I promise."

She gave a choked laugh and rested her forehead on his tears still wet on her cheeks. "Why didn't the letter say anything? Why keep it a secret from me?"

He shrugged and used his thumbs to wipe away the tears. "Artemis is much like Gandalf, she keeps her own council and her own secrets. I guess she thought if you were told by a letter you might not believe it and nt come."

Tauriel gave a small sniff. "She might have been right. What did she mean before she left just now?"

Kili shook his head slightly. "I'm not really sure. I think she was in love once but I think he's dead, or lost in some way, she always gets a little queer around Legolas and Tracey. They're bonded."

Tauriel looked a little surprised. "Bonded? I never thought to see him bonded."

He nodded. "Aye, bonded, and she's no elf either, she's a Faery, right out of the legends of the First Age."

Tauriel's couldn't have looked more surprised if she'd tried. Kili grinned at her and ran a finger down her cheek. He'd wanted to touch her, hold her since the first time he'd seen her and now he was finally allowed to. She regained herself and looked a little shy and he cupped her cheek. "I never thought you'd allow this, that you'd ever feel for me as I do for you."

"I never thought I'd feel this for a dwarf." She admitted. "You are unique, a dwarf with the love of gold and gems and riches but the wonder of an elf for the surface and its miracles."

He gave her a shy smile of his own. "I never thought beyond my Uncles quest until I met you."

They sat that way for a few minutes until he worked up his courage. "May I kiss you?" He all but whispered.

She leaned in and pressed her lips to his feeling the spark that leapt between them. He gasped softly and wrapped his arms around her pulling her in close so he could kiss her more fully, he knew he was never letting her go again, his Uncle be damned.


	34. Chapter 34

Artemis walked briskly down to the common room and located Tracey and the rest. She gave them a sunny smile and gratefully accepted the plate Tracey pushed towards her. "I think tomorrow, as long as she can stand on her own without falling we can go back to Lothlorien and sort out what to do with Thorin."

Fili bristled until Artemis patted his shoulder. "Oh calm down Fili, we're not going to hurt him or you but I'm hoping he's seen the logic in retiring."

He toyed with his fork for a minute. "If… If I said that I wanted to go North and explore past the edges of the maps… would I be allowed to go?"

Artemis propped her chin on her hand. "I'm a big believer in freedom Fili, in being allowed to chose your own way. If you swear to me on your name that you won't interfere or return to Erebor I will accept it and fight anyone who would say otherwise."

"Even if you're not here?" He gave her direct look and she grinned.

"Never underestimate a Wizard and their magic. I will make sure you have your freedom." She glanced over at Tracey meaningfully.

Tracey gave her a smile and a wink and then picked at her fruit, giving Legolas's hand a gentle squeeze before looking up again and speaking.

"It sounds like a good plan, I'll be happy to get back Lothlorien." She said, laying her head on Legolas's shoulder. "Does Tauriel know what happened to her when she got attacked? And what do you think Kili is going to do now?"

Artemis swallowed a bite of mutton and shook her head. "Tauriel can't remember being attacked. It's not surprising, she got hit in the head really hard. And maybe it's better that way." She glanced at Legolas. "You knew her before, is she the type to push herself to remember?"

He considered it then shook his head. "She prefers to live in the moment. Oh she loves the history of our people and she likes stories but if she cannot remember something she doesn't strive too hard to recall it."

Artemis nodded. "A girl after my own heart. As to Kili, I think he'll Bond with Tauriel if they can and he's sworn to me that he will not follow Thorin to Erebor. I don't know exactly where he plans to go after Lothlorien but I think the idea of an adventure of his own appeals."

Legolas surprised them all by laughing. "He's a young dwarf yet, adventuring is what they do at that age."

Artemis quirked a smile. "Exactly. I'm not worried about them."

Tracey blinked and her lips curled in a smile too and she took a sip of her water.

"I agree, it's probably for the better and if she can be happy living in the now with the Dwarf she's fallen in love with than nothing else will matter."

She was speaking from personal experience. At first she thought that with the lack of her memories she would be fine not knowing where she came from and it would be a clean slate for her to do whatever she wanted with her life. But then as things slowly started to develop and she realized how important her memories really were.

"I think we should give Tauriel a day or so to rest and then if she is well enough to travel we'll make our way to Lothlorien."

Artemis nodded and cut a piece of mutton. "We'll have to take it slower on the way back. She probably won't be up to a hard ride."

"As far as I'm concerned we have plenty of time, there isn't any rush." Tracey replied quietly with a shrug, pushing away her now empty plate. "When we do decide to move Tauriel can ride Summer Breeze and I shall walk for a time. It will be a nice change of pace to use my feet and my wings again, I don't worry about being spotted."

She squeezed Legolas's hand and smiled; Artemis smiled as well and tucked into her meal with gusto.


	35. Chapter 35

It took them nearly a week to make their way back to Lothlorien, by the time they made it back Tauriel was much stronger but the journey had exhausted them all. Tracey and Legolas went up to their room and the attendants found another room for Tauriel and Kili who still went hooded and cloaked inside the Wood. Kili rejoined Thorin in the low building by the stables and Artemis found herself faced with her own room on the ground on the other side of the stables, she flopped on the bed and lay half asleep still in her traveling clothes. She stared up at the rough timber beams and sighed. "Where the hell are we going next?" She mumbled and closed her eyes slipping off into sleep.

Tracey's wings drooped behind her back as she carried her saddlebags up to the chambers she shared with Legolas and deposited them on the nearest chair, closing the door behind them both. She sighed and draped her cloak there as well, crossing the floor to the wash basin and pouring some water into the bowl. Taking a cloth, Tracey dampened it and washed her face, neck, hands and chest. She let out a relieved breath and blinked tiredly. Rinsing out the cloth again, she handed it to Legolas so he may wipe away the dirt from their travels.

"I am happy to be back my love." Tracey said with a smile, going to the chest of drawers and pulling out clean undergarments and a night-shift for herself. "A bath is an order and then sleep, blissful sleep and pleasant dreams for we have Tauriel back and we are all safe. Shall I draw you a bath as well?"

He used the cloth on his face then reached over and wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in against him nuzzling her cheek. "How about I share yours?" He murmured.

Raising an eyebrow at him, Tracey smirked and turned slightly to look at him.

"I think that's a splendid idea." She replied softly, leaning up and kissing his lips lovingly. "Come, I will make sure you're cleaned thoroughly."

She let out a soft laugh and gently took his hand, leading him to the bathroom for their bath. The water relieved all the tiredness from their bones and she let out a happy sigh as she rubbed the bathing oils into her skin. She took the oils and massaged them into Legolas's back, admiring how his flesh glittered in the flickering lamplight. Taking the rinse water, Tracey dribbled it over his back and used her hand to help remove the oils and soap from him. She carefully did the same for herself, making sure that her wings remained dry and took a towel to her own skin to remove the water.

"I want you to promise me something Legolas..." She started quietly, wrapping the towel around her body and stepping from the tub and handing him a clean towel.

He raised an eyebrow and stood, stepping from the bath he tugged her towel away and smiled running his hands over her sides. "I would promise you anything my heart."

Tracey stared into his deep blue eyes, letting the towel fall away, her wings fluttering slightly as she rested her hands on his smooth chest. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"No matter what happens in the near future, I need you to promise me that you will remain strong and steadfast. Honor your father and find Strider. Despite all that will happen, you must stay with him. Situations will turn dire, but you must watch over him and follow him wherever he goes."

He looked a little surprised and cupped her cheek. "I thought you weren't supposed to divulge the future?"

"One of my talents is finding loopholes." Tracey said with a slight smile, leaning into his hand and leaning up on her toes to reach his height. "Technically I'm not really revealing to you the future, I'm reinforcing what your father wished you to do and we live in Middle Earth, it's already a dangerous place so things are bound to happen." She nuzzled his lips with her own and smirked.

He kissed her nipping at her lips a little. "I promise, I will remain by his side."

Tracey giggled and fluttered her wings, hovering over the floor a little and pushing him back toward the bed. They were back safely and it was a relief. She kissed him lovingly, letting her hands run over his soft skin until they toppled over onto the bed.

"Thank you my dearest love." She said softly, leaving butterfly kisses on his neck.


	36. Chapter 36

They woke the next morning to a knock on the door. When Tracey opened the door Artemis was standing on the landing. "Thorin wants to talk to us."

Gripping the sheet around her naked body and pushing her black hair out of her face, Tracey's shoulders dropped and she muttered some words under her breath that sounded a lot like protests, but she nodded.

"I'll be out in a few minutes, I'm going to let Legolas sleep a little longer."

Disappearing into the room after closing the door, Tracey went back to the bed and leaned over Legolas, admiring how peaceful he looked while sleeping and kissing him lovingly. She whispered in his ear that she had to meet up with Artemis and the Dwarves for a little while, but then she'd be back. After leaving several kisses on his lips she dressed quickly and left the room.

"Alright Artemis, let's see what our stubborn Dwarf has to say now... hopefully his decision is favorable."

Artemis led her to the dwarves quarters and knocked before they entered. Thorin was sitting at the table near the curtained window, he stood when they entered and gave them a slight smile. "Thank you for seeing me so early."

Tracey was slightly taken aback by the change that she saw in Thorin, never in her dreams did she think that he would actually smile. Her wings fluttered a bit and she decided she would give him the benefit of a doubt and returned his smile with one of her own. "Good morning Lord Thorin, what did you wish to see us about?" Tracey asked, resting her hands on the backside of a chair.

Artemis sat down in a chair and crossed her legs and Thorin sat down across from her. "I have spent the last week considering your positions on my return to Erebor and while you were away Gandalf spent some time adding his own opinion."

"Ah, it's good that you've considered Gandalf's counsel. He's wise and has been around for a long time." Tracey replied, nodding her head at his words. "What have you decided?"

He clasped his hands in front of his and stared down at the weathers digits, he seemed diminished somehow, and Artemis reached over resting her slender hand over his. "You've decided to leave haven't you?"

He nodded then looked up at her. "You convinced me, all of you. I could not bear the destruction, the ruin of the world for my own pride. I will travel with Fili to the north and explore the lands beyond the mountains."

Artemis took his hand in hers and clasped it. "You have no idea how grateful I am for that."

Tracey's wings fluttered again and she nodded. "Acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step to fixing it and I am also grateful that you've been wise enough to listen to the opinion of others before listening to your heart. You are very wise in your own right, may you find peace in the North with your kin."

He nodded slowly. "I will be leaving in two days with Fili, the Lady Galadriel is providing us with horses, provisions and tools to get us started."

Artemis stood up and wrapped him in a hug which stunned him before he returned it. "Thorin, your people will remain a strong proud people, beloved in song and story." She kissed his cheek and he flushed.

"We don't know what you will find up North, but we hope for the best." Tracey said before looking at Fili. "You think you can stay out of trouble while you travel?"

She crossed her arms under her chest and smirked at him, he chuckled and shook his head. "I'm hoping to find lots of trouble up north."

Artemis laughed and hugged Fili who gladly hugged him back. "I'm not sure how much longer we'll be here so if we are gone before you leave we wish you the best of journeys."

She stepped back and both dwarves bowed to her and Tracey. Artemis bowed in return and took Tracey's arm. "Let's go get some food huh?"

"Agreed, I'm starving." Tracey said, allowing Artemis to lead her away and to the dining area.

Trays of fruit and juices were laid out on the tables and this gave them the opportunity to pick what they wanted and eat at their leisure. Slowly Tracey picked at her food, despite being starved, she found that she didn't have much of an appetite and pushed a few grapes around on her plate. The thought of their leaving was starting to weigh on her heart and on her mind. Occasionally she glanced at Artemis and rested her elbow on the table and her chin in her palm before speaking.

"How much longer do you think we'll be here? And where do you think we'll go from here?"

Artemis had eaten fully and hungrily and was now sitting back in her chair with a cup of strong black tea. She stared pensively into the dark liquid and shook her head. "Not long now I think. We've solved the problem, we saved the world. It could come tomorrow, or tonight or in the next two minutes." She looked up at Tracey and set her cup on the table.

"Tracey…" She hesitated then kept going. "I'm sorry, that you're going to be torn away from Legolas. If I thought I could stop it, if I thought I could change it I want you to know I would. I would give anything, every scrap of power to make it so you can stay here."

"Well..." Tracey started with a lopsided smile, a few tears coming to her eyes as she looked into Artemis's own calming brown ones. "At least now I know what you feel every time you think about Iolaus. I know you'd give up everything to help me, just as I would do anything in my power to help you. It is going to take some getting used to being without him, but I will steel my resolve and if there is a just and loving God or Gods out there than they will see to it that we get some type of reward... or they'll just stop messing with people's lives and drawing in innocents to fix their crap."

Pushing hair out of her face, Tracey tried to keep herself calm and collected. Artemis reached over and took her hand squeezing it comfortingly. "I will find a way back. I swear it, I will find a way back to Middle Earth somehow." She tried to smile at Tracey but her own eyes glittered.

Tracey had to take several deep breaths and wiped her eyes, using the inside of her sleeve to do so. Getting rid of the lump in her throat seemed next to impossible, but after several minutes she took a few sips of her juice and picked a few fruits to satisfy her grumbling stomach.

"It would have been nice to get at least a warning that this was going to be a hard adventure." She muttered, cracking a half smile at Artemis, but shrugging her shoulders and leaning back in her chair and patting her hand.

Artemis left her chair and pulled Tracey into a hug stroking her hair. "I'm sorry." She murmured. "Go spend as much time as you can with him while you can. I'll take care of any preparations."

Hugging Artemis back tightly, Tracey gave her a grateful smile and grabbed some fruit before taking off, heading back to her room as fast as she could. She pushed open the door as quietly as she could and shut it behind her. Legolas was still resting and she placed the fruit in a bowl on the bedside table before crawling back into the bed with him, curling up against his warm body and sighing in content.

'I need to remain strong for him, he will be my new reason for living and moving from each world to the next.' She thought to herself, starting to stroke his hair and loving how silky smooth it was between her fingers. 'I just hope I can be as strong as he is.'

Artemis watched her go before picking up her tea and swallowing it down in one gulp. She stood and went to her quarters and pulled the satchels out of her saddlebags and started checking through them making sure all their personal items were still available. She was wrapping the diadem Tracey had been wearing before she regained her memories in a length of silk when a knock on the door frame startled her. She spun and relaxed when she saw Gandalf who gave her a reassuring smile. "I see you are packing."

She tucked the diadem into Tracey's satchel. "I am. I have the feeling we'll be summoned away at any moment and I want to be ready."

He sat down on the chair in a corner and smiled as he pulled his pipe out. "I see. Well I shall miss you and our conversations."

She closed one satchel and started reorganizing the other one. "I will miss you too Gandalf. You kept me honest if nothing else."

They both chuckled at that and Artemis closed the satchel then sat on the bed with a sigh and looked down at her hands. "I feel so bad for them." She said softly.

"Their love is strong. He said quietly. "As is yours."

She looked up and he smiled warmly. "Oh don't look so flabbergasted my dear girl. I saw it in the story you told, and the care you took to reinforce their love."

She swallowed and wiped her eyes and he reached over resting a hand on her shoulder. "You are both stronger than any outside force even knows, you and Tracey are the quiet strength, the open hearts and the honest love that gives me hope in the dark days to come."

She leaned forward and hugged him tight, hot tears tracking down her cheeks and he patted her back. 'They are dangerous, loyal and strong. These women, these beautiful women will make it through.' He thought as he held her while she cried.


	37. Epilogue

Artemis and Tracey retired to their beds late that night, Tracey wrapped in the arms of her beloved and Artemis curled lonely and exhausted but feeling lighter than she had in weeks under a thick woolen blanket with their satchels tied to her waist. When Legolas woke he realized he was alone, a quick search of the room showed no sign of Tracey, or that she'd even been there in the first place. All that remained was the scent of her on his sheets and the faint blue dust of her wings on his arm. He stood and stared out at the full moon hanging huge in the sky and felt his heart crack with the loss of her. Unbidden the promise he'd made floated through his mind and he took a deep breath steeling his resolve. He'd sworn to her he would find Strider and remain by his side, he would do that, he would make that his life's purpose until he could find her again.

 **Hey everyone! Thanks for reading all the way through! We hope you enjoyed reading this as much as we enjoyed writing it. Tracey and Artemis will be back in our next story Foot Falls: Paradise Lost set in the Pacific Rim Fandom. We really hope you'll come read the next story in the series!**


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